BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, July 27, 2018—It was
a dark and stormy Friday night (July 27th), under which Yonkers
Raceway hosted the $173,500 New York Sire Stakes Dick McGuire Trot for
3-year-old colts and geldings.
The pair of $86,750 events were named for
the late New York Knickerbocker standout, Hall of Famer and avid horseplayer.
The opening division saw Helpisontheway
(Brian Sears, $2.60) do his bidding from second-over. From post position No. 3,
he chased Winning Shadow (Mike Simons) as that one chased Chasin’ Dreams (Jason
Bartlett).
Chasin’ Dreams had taken over from Purpose
Blue Chip (Dan Daley), all this through early intervals of :28.3 and :57.4. A 30-1, two-move Cruising
in Style (George Brennan) then grabbed the lead at the 1:26.2 three-quarters,
widening to 2¼ lengths entering the lane.
However,
Helpisontheway wound up widest and closed fastest, edging by the longshot late.
The margin was three-quarters of a length in 1:55.3. Wining Shadow held third,
with Purpose Blue Chip and Clive Bigsby (Mark MacDonald) coming away with the
remainder.
For
Helpisontheway, a son
of Chapter Seven trained by Linda Toscano for Camelot and Bays Stables &
Little E LLC, it was his fourth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid
$41.80, the triple returned $211.50 and the superfecta paid a grand.
“He was just green last season,” Toscano
said. “Now, he’s figured it out.”
Friday night’s second and final division
was Veterans Night, as The Veteran (Jordan Stratton, $3.50) proved best in a
race with four breakers and arguably his own late exodus.
Away third from post No. 2, he improved early
position when Fashion Forever (Dan Dube) and Yuge (Breannan) both
misbehaved in from of him. That left the lead to Troller (Sears) through soggy
subsections of :29 and :58.4.
Nearing the
intermission, On the Ropes (Ake Svanstedt) was moving from fifth, doing so in a
hurry. The Veteran then left the cones, forcing On the Ropes three-wide.
Meanwhile, Troller maintained his
advantage in and out of a 1:27.4 three-quarters, though The Veteran was coming.
The people’s preference soon displaced the leader—who eventually jumped it
off—and opened a 2¼-length lead in and out of the final turn.
The Veteran defeated Perlucky (Trond
Smedshammer) by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:56.3, with a compromised On the
Ropes, Don (Bartlett) and Yuge settling for the minors.
For The
Veteran, a Muscle
Mass colt co-owned by (trainer) George Ducharme, Steven Michaels, W J Donovan
and Jim Winske, it was his fifth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid
$23, the triple returned $96 and the superfecta paid $392.50. The winner has
been an odds-on choice in his last five tries.
Friday night’s $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace was won by Made of
Jewels AS (Stratton, $21.20) in a life-best 1:51.4.
New York Sire Stakes continue here Monday
night (July 30th) with the $172,000 Bruce Hamilton Pace (3-year-old
colts/geldings).
