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

Yonkers, NY — A total of 14 3-year-olds — eights colts and six geldings — were entered for the 2007 edition of the Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers Raceway.

A pair of $40,000, seven-horse elimination races are scheduled as races eight and nine during this Saturday night’s (May 26) 10-race card (first post 7:40 p.m.), with the first four finishers in each qualifying for the Saturday night, June 2, final. That race shall carry a purse of not less than $750,000.

Leading the first Rooney elimination is the Pat Lachance-trained (and MJGB Racing owned and co-owned) entry of Home Bed Advantage and Forensic Z Tam, who drew next to one another in post position four and five, respectively.

The former, a Cole Muffler gelding, finished third in the $225,000 final of the Berry’s Creek at the Meadowlands earlier this month. As a frosh, he won eight of his nine starts and more than $247,000 as one of the scourges of the Illinois-bred circuit.

The latter, a statebred son of Bettor’s Delight, went 4-for-8 as a rookie with earnings in excess of $161,000. He finished second in the $150,000 New York Sire Stakes final a season ago.

Lachance listed himself behind both on the overnight sheet.

Glass Pack (George Brennan, post one), The Double Dion (Jim Morrill, Jr., post three), Ideal Vintage (Yannick Gingras, post six) and Southwind Lynx (Morrill, Jr., post seven) all come off solid freshman seasons, with each earning between $58,000 and $92,000.

Saturday night’s second Rooney elim finds the first two finishers from last weekend’s $301,032 final of the Max Hempt at Pocono in Tivoli Hanover (Eric Goodell, post four) and Takeshigemichi (Dan Dube, post three).

“Tivoli,” a Western Hanover gelding, came from well back to upset the Hempt at 22-1 in a career best 1:51, his fifth win in 11 career efforts.

Takeshigemichi, a son of The Panderosa, won his Hempt elim in a lifetime best 1:50.

Mattdultery (Tim Tetrick, post five), who banked more than $105,000 at 2, tired in his Hempt elim, which served as his seasonal debut.

Digital Z Tam (Lachance, post two) won the $200,000 final of the Kentucky Sire Stakes last season and was first or second in six of his 10 ’06 efforts.

The fields for the Art Rooney Pace elminations, with declared drivers:

First elim (eighth race): 1-Glass Pack (Geroge Brennan); 2-Western Artwork (Eric Goodell); 3-The Double Dion (Jim Morrill, Jr.); 4-Home Bed Advantage (Pat Lachance); 5-Forensic Z Tam (coupled with Home Bed Advantage, Lachance also listed); 6-Ideal Vintage (Yannick Gingras); 7-Southwind Lynx (Morrill Jr. also listed).

Second elim (ninth race): 1-Poker Hat (Morrill Jr.); 2-Digital Z Tam (Lachance); 3-Takeshigemichi (Dan Dube); 4-Tivoli Hanover (Goodell); 5-Mattdultery (Tim Tetrick); 6-Whistling Hanover (Brennan); 7-Western Culture (Tetrick also listed).

The Art Rooney, one of Yonkers’ signature pacing events, returns to the Raceway for the first time since No Pan Intended, the ’03 Harness Horse of the Year, was placed first in that July’s edition. The Rooney, which began in 1989, was not held in 2004 and 2005, while the ’06 edition, won by Gimmebackmybullets, was contested at Monticello last November.

The Rooney’s companion stake, the newly-renamed Lismore, attracted six soph fillies who are set to chase $242,620 in a one-dash-for-the-cash cotillion a week from Saturday night (June 2).

Live racing is currently offered at Yonkers with six programs per week — Monday through Saturday nights at 7:40 p.m. Harness and Thoroughbred simulcasting is available seven days a week, while Empire City’s nearly 5,500 video gaming machines are in play daily from 10 a.m.-2:00 a.m.