by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Hypnotic Blue Chip has been installed as Saturday night’s 6-5 morning line favorite for Yonkers Raceway’s $421,950 Art Rooney Pace. Seven 3-year-old colts are ready to contest the 19th edition of the Rooney, which goes as the 10th of 13 races (first post 7:10 p.m.).

Hypnotic Blue Chip — who drew post position four with Tim Tetrick scheduled to drive — has been both occupied and successful thus far in 2009. The Art Major colt has started 11 times (seven wins, two seconds, one third) with earnings of $210,740…third in his weight class thus far this season. He invades Westchester after winning his elimination and the $218,925 final of last month’s Empire Breeders Classic at Tioga. Mark Harder trains for himself, Deena Frost, Stable 45 and Robert Murphy.

If I Can Dream (George Brennan, post six) socked away more than $235,000 as a plebe, highlighted by a win in the $257,850 final of Dover’s Matron Stakes in mid-November. His 1:50.4 life-best — a world record for freshman colts over a five-eighths oval — came the previous week in an elimination for the Matron. He begins Saturday night at the 3-1 early second choice. This season, the son of Western Hanover — trained by Tracy Brainard for Bulletproof Enterprises — has a pair of overnight wins to his credit.

Barber Pole (Jordan Stratton, post seven), twice a winner in four seasonal starts, looks to give trainer George Teague, Jr. a third consecutive win in this race (Southwind Lynx-2007, Badlands Nitro-2008). Barber Pole, a son of Badlands Hanover owned by his breeders, Gary and Barbara Iles, grabbed a life-best 1:49 earlier this season at the Meadowlands.

The field for the Art Rooney Pace, with drivers and morning-line odds, is as follows:

1-Fireintheshark (Jason Bartlett, 8-1)
2-Monkey Off My Back (Cat Manzi, 12-1)
3-Venice Menace (Dave Palone, 10-1)
4-Hypnotic Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick, 6-5)
5-Mobile (Jim Morrill, Jr., 15-1)
6-If I Can Dream (George Brennan, 3-1)
7-Barber Pole (Jordan Stratton, 6-1)

The Rooney’s companion event, the Lismore Pace for soph fillies (ninth race), offers a final purse of $293,970. Not Enough, a $30,000 supplemental entrant, and Kabbalah Karen B — both owned, trained and driven by Bulletproof, Brainard and Morrill Jr., respectively — won this past Saturday night’s pair of $20,000 elimination races. Morrill elected to escort Not Enough from penultimate post seven in the final.

The two elim winners, along with In The Mix, comprise the early 7-5 favored pari-mutuelly-partnered posse.

The Lismore ladies — in post order — are:

1-Kabbalah Karen B (Brennan, 7-5)
2-Jkmusicofthenite (Stephane Bouchard, 8-1)
3-Indulge Me (Mike Lachance, 9-5)
4-Notjustaprettyface (Jordan Stratton, 12-1)
5-In The Game (Manzi, 7-5)
6-Spoiled Beach (Palone, 3-1)
7-Not Enough (Morrill Jr., 7-5)
8-Pumptuous (Bartlett, 30-1)

Note that Jkmusicofthenite and Spoiled Beach, both trained by Linda Toscano, race uncoupled due to bona fide separate ownership.

Saturday night also features a T-shirt giveaway, while supplies last.