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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway on Tuesday night (July 24) hosted the $159,000 New York Sire Stakes Frank Becerra Pace for 2-year-old fillies, the division’s second local go-round in 18 nights. A pair of divisions — worth $78,800 and $80,200, respectively — comprised the event, which offered minimal suspense.

Mike Lizzi photo

So Awesome won the opening division in a time of 1:55.3.

The opening group saw So Awesome (Tim Tetrick, $2.70) make the lead from post position No. 4 (in one notch after a program scratch) and never, ever had a thought of giving it up (:28.4, :58.3, 1:27.2, 1:55.3). The lead was 2-3/4 lengths off the final turn, widening to 3-3/4 lengths at the wire. American Marilyn (Jason Bartlett) chased from a loose pocket, with JK American Beauty (Brian Sears), Topville Angelina (Marcus Miller) and Crazy Cute (Jordan Stratton) coming away with the remainder.

For So Awesome, a daughter of So Surreal-Teddy Ballgirl owned by William Hartt and trained by Scott DiDomenico, it was her second win in four seasonal starts, both here in statebreds and both in the identical (1:55.3) times. The exacta paid $6.80, the triple returned $31.80 and the superfecta (four wagering choices in order) paid $83.

“She’s fast and she just gets over this track so well,” Tetrick said.

Tuesday night’s second and final division had the death-and-taxes St Somewhere (Yannick Gingras, $2.10) withstand a spirited challenge from 27-1 shot Hurrikane Norakane (Dan Dube) before opening up late. All told, she went the distance from post No. 5 (:28.2, :57.3; 1:26.1; 1:53.4), the final time just three ticks off the local division record (Tequila Monday’s 1:53.1 in 2016). Hurrikane Norakane was a solid second, beaten three lengths, with Gia’s Surreal (Bartlett), Money Shot Hanover (Tyler Buter) and Ladybeluckytonite (Tetrick) completing the payees.

For St Somewhere, an American Ideal-Somstreetsomwhere miss co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Phil Collura, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi, it was her third consecutive NYSS win. The exacta paid $14.80, the triple returned $34 and the superfecta paid $75.50.

St Somewhere, as with So Awesome, won both of her local Empire tries.

“I just let her take me around the track,” Gingras said. “There wasn’t much to it.”

New York Sire Stakes return here Friday night (July 27) in the $173,500 Dick McGuire Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings.