by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Post positions have been drawn for 10 of the 11 races comprising the richest day ever in New York harness racing, Yonkers Raceway’s $3.3 million all-stakes extravaganza this Saturday afternoon (Oct. 14).

Note that the million-dollar Yonkers International Trot at Empire City Casino shall be drawn Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 10) at a midtown Manhattan press luncheon.

Here’s a hot-off-the-presses look at the $1.8 million New York Day of Champions and the pair of $250,000 Invitationals (sire stakes finals at $225,000 each, invites at $250,000 each).

1st-NYSS Genesee Valley Farm 2YO Colt/Gelding Pace (post time 1 p.m.): Hitman Hill (Brett Miller) just keeps winning, as in 6-for-6 ($146,533) and the draw for the final. If Hitman Hill is to falter, it’s probably at the hooves of Casual Cool (Jason Bartlett, post three), Jersey Jim (Jim Devaux, post four), Topville Olympian (Yannick Gingras, post six) or Paprike Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr. post eight). That quartet has combined for 16 wins and more than $440,000 this season.

2nd-NYSS Winbak Farm 2YO Filly Pace (post time 1:20 p.m.): Division leader Hurrikane Shorty (Bartlett, post six) hasn’t done much wrong, as evidenced by four wins and three seconds in eight tries ($123,915). As with Hitman Hill, she won both of her local tries. Alexis Faith (Morrill Jr., post seven) had a win and a second here including in her 8-for-8 board resume (five wins, two seconds, one third, $116,310). Azreal As It Gets (Jim Marohn Jr., post three) won her last two sire stakes starts.

3rd-NYSS Crawford Farm 2YO Filly Trot (post time 1:40 p.m.): Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt, post three) matched Hitman Hill’s perfect half-dozen this season ($108,433). Along the way, she set a local track record (1:56.2), winning by nearly 10 lengths. Svanstedt also trains Natalie Blue Chip (Dan Dube, post four) and Lucky Ava (Gingras, post five). He does not, however, train formidable pole-sitter Supergirl Riley (Marcus Miller).

4th-NYSS Cameo Hills Farm 3YO Filly Pace (post time 2 p.m.): If last season’s frosh femme champion (via DQ) Tequila Monday (David Miller) is going to defend her title, she’s going to have to overcome the eight-hole to do it. For the season, she’s won 8 of 19 races ($352,517), including the $140,700 Lismore here. Clear Idea (Mark MacDonald) did her rival one better, going 9-for-19 ($266,601). Obvious Blue Chip (Scott Zeron, post two) was second and third, respectively, in her elim and final of the Jugette.

5th-NYSS Harness Horse Breeders of NYS 2YO Colt/Gelding Trot (post time 2:20 p.m.): Clive Bigsby (Bartlett, post three) wound up in a points dead-heat with the AWOL Fourth Dimension. Clive Bigsby won five of his eight seasonal starts with a pair of seconds ($95,530). Ronnie Goldstein (Kim Crawford, post four), Purpose Blue Chip (Dan Daley, post six) and Six Pack (Svanstedt, post seven) all have won here this summer.

6th-NYSS Blue Chip Farms 3YO Colt/Gelding Pace (post time 2:40 p.m.): The champ from 2016, Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan, post four), has put together another fine season in 2017’s glamour division, with four wins and 11 board finishes in 14 starts ($441,442). Cultural Paradise (Brian Sears, post five), Outkast Blue Chip (Morrill Jr., post six) and Pointomygranson (Zeron, post eight) each socked away six figures this season.

7th-Dan Rooney Invitational Pace (post time 3 p.m.): From the inside out, there’s the Canadian Pacing Derby winner, Sintra (Jody Jamieson, post one), the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series winner, Keystone Velocity (Dube, post three), the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby winner, All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley, post four), plus this season’s Quillen Memorial and last season’s Levy winner, Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton, post six). No slouches in this octet, with five having reached at least career seven-figure social status.

8th-Harry Harvey Invitational Trot (post time 3:30 p.m.): Going the mile and quarter may very well even out the landscape. Homicide Hunter (Brett Miller, post 10) is one of two beginning from the back of the bus. He and the other second-tier number, Cash Me Out (Eric Goodell, post nine) both have 30 career victories. The only time Dia Monde (Brennan, post six) visited, he matched the track record for his 4-year-old gelding weight class (1:54.2). Throw in a trio of French Canadian-trained entities in Charmed Life (Sears, post two), Lookslikeachpndale (Dube, post four) and Musical Rhythm (MacDonald, post eight) into the mix, and this race is quite puzzling.

9-$1 million Yonkers International Trot at Empire City Casino (post time 4 p.m.): 10 horses at the mile and a quarter to be drawn Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 10).

10-NYSS Morrisville Coll. Equine Inst. 3YO Colt/Gelding Trot (post time 4:30 p.m.): Yonkers Tort winner Top Flight Angel (Andy Miller, post seven) renews his rivalry with Guardian Angel AS (Bartlett, post one). Between them, it’s a dozen wins and just under $600,000. Swell Chap (Sears, post three) was an under-the-radar points leader with six wins and a dozen board finishes in 14 tries ($179,138).

11-NYSS Allerage Farm 3YO Filly Trot (post time 5 p.m.): Frosh phenom Barn Bella (Jeff Gregory, post three) eyes a statebred repeat, bringing a 17-for-23 career resume ($576,225) into this race. This season, she’s 11-for-14 (364,414). Her main rival starts right inside in Hudson Filly champ Celebrity Ruth (Bartlett, post three). Unraced at 2, she’s been first or second in all but one of 14 ’17 tries ($359,113).