BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Monday, July 8, 2019—Yonkers Raceway Monday evening (July 8th)
hosted the $150,300 New York Sire Stakes Michael Sorentino Trot for 2-year-old
colts and geldings.
As pair of $50,400
wagering races and a non-bettor comprised the event.
The opening
on-the-card division saw a maiden-breaking Berkery J (Jason Bartlett, $7.10) go
right down the road. From post position No. 2, he had no issues (:29.2, 59.4, 1:29.2, 1:58.2). The
final widening margin was 7¼ lengths over a way-too-late, even-money favorite
Chaptiama (Trond Smedshammer).
R Herbie Blue Chip
(Ake Svanstedt) and Miserable Mike (John Stark Jr.) finished off the bottom of
the gimmicks.
For second choice
Berkery J, a son of Chapter Seven owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by George
Ducharme, it was that first win in seasonal/career starts. The exacta paid
$13.20, the triple returned $78.50 and the superfecta paid $256.
”Very handy,”
Bartlett said. “George (Ducharme) had him ready. He’s going to be a good
half-mile (track) horse.”
The evening’s
final statebred event saw a three-wide Saylor (trainer Doug R. Ackerman doing
honors himself) set ambitious fractions (:28.1, :58.3, 1:28.3), then hold well.
However, he came under assault, first from pocket-pulling,
9-10 choice (Bourbon Express (Bartlett), then eventual winner Beerthirty K
(Mike Simons, $12.20).
Away third from the pole, Beerthirty K was widest and
fastest, drawing out to whip the people’s preference by a length-and-a-half in
1:58. Saylor was third, despite being steppy though the lane, with Take the
Credit (Svanstedt) fourth.
For third choice
Beerthirty K, a Credit Winner colt trained by Bruce Borden for owner Don Atlas,
it was his first win in pair of season/life tries. The exacta paid $26.80, the
triple returned $196.50 and the superfecta paid $409.
“Bruce (Borden) has brought him along beautifully,” Simons said. “He hasn’t
done anything wrong and the trip here worked out for him.”
The $49,500
non-wagering sire stakes event was won by a down-the-road Barn Holden (Jeff
Gregory) in 1:58. It was a first win for the homebred son of Conway Hall,
co-owned by (trainer) Steve and Nancy Pratt, Purple Haze & Out of the
Country Stables.
New York Sire
Stakes returns downstate Thursday night (July 11th), with the
$153,900 Clyde Hirt Pace for 2-year-old fillies.
Total purses for
the 2019 New York-bred program are estimated at $14 million. For more
information, please visit www.nysirestakes.com.
