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

Yonkers, NY — They didn’t exactly give away a lot of the state’s money Thursday evening (Sept. 17) — you did have to earn it — but more than $400,000 was adorning Yonkers Raceway’s table in a pair of New York Sire Stakes events.

The $181,368 Lew Barasch Trot (2-year-old colts/geldings) was contested in three $60,456 divisions.

Strong Hope (Jason Bartlett) skimmed the cones in the opening event, getting by prohibitive favorite Shaq Is Back (Ray Schnittker) by a maiden-breaking head in 2:02.3. The latter, as the 1-5 choice, walked around the track, but could not stall the pocket-sitter. Nodoubtinmymind (Cat Manzi) was third.

Strong Hope, a son of CR Excalibur trained by Dan Daley for Winbak Farm (part of a Daley-trained entry), returned $22.20 for that first win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $61, with the triple returning $209.

The second division saw an unmanageable, 3-10 choice Carnegie throw out insane first-half speed (:57.3), then predictably back up. That left the door open for Blacktuxwhitesocks (Jeff Gregory), sitting second early, to prevail in a life-best 1:59.3 with a 1:02 last half. A sire stakes winner here a week ago at 8-1, you saw 15-1 Thursday evening as Blacktuxwhitesocks ($33.40) defeated Big Stick Lindy (Schnittker) by two lengths for a second victory in eight ’09 tries. Sun Island (Daley) was third.

The winner is a Credit Winner colt trained by Jessica Okusko for Purple Haze Stables. The exacta paid $158.50, with the triple returning $1,154.

RC Serpent took advantage of a pocket trip to win his NYSS split in 2:02.1.

The final event for the plebe trotters saw Schntitker again put up soft fractions on the lead — this time with Margarita Man — only to again be nailed late. RC Serpent (Daley), the 3-5 people’s choice, was a loose pocket second turning for home, but made up 3-1/2 lengths and then some. RC Serpent won by a length going away in 2:02.1, with Cuzzin Rob (Manzi) third.

RC Serpent, a son of Conway Hall trained by Daley for co-owners Ann-Mari Daley, Albert Crawford, Richard Lombardo and Highland Green Farms, returned $3.30 for his fifth win in eight first-season starts. He led a $4.90 exacta and $9.80 triple.

The $219,654 Jim Crawford Pace (3-year-old colts/geldings) was nattily divided into a pair of six-figure ($109,827) events. Favorites Handsome Harry (Jim Morrill, Jr.) and Diamond Stick Pin (Gregory) each went the distance.

Handsome Harry outdrew his abbreviated field of five rivals, then led them at every fractional footprint (:28.2, :57.3, 1:25.3, 1:53.2). Go Go Solano (George Brennan) was a terrific, first-up second in a :55.4 back half, with OK Braveheart a pocket third.

Mike Lizzi photos

Handsome Harry won his tenth straight race as he scored in 1:53.2.

Handsome Harry, a son of Dream Away trained by Mark Ford for co-owners Ralph Del Priore, Jr. and Harry Doyle, paid $4.50 for his 15th win (10 in a row) in 20 ’09 tries. The exacta paid $12.40, with the triple returning $22.40.

Diamond Stick Pin, leaving from post position four, led through intervals of :28.1, :57.4, 1:25.3 and 1:54.1. He defeated a fast-closing Woodstock Hanover (Stephane Bouchard) by 1-1/2 lengths, with 44-1 shot Chase The Sun (Steve Smith) third.

Diamond Stick Pin, a Bettor’s Delight colt trained by Okusko for Purple Haze, Conrad Zurich and Edwin Gold, paid $4.20 for his sixth win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $40, the triple returned $592 and the superfecta (My Last Laugh (Schnittker) was fourth) paid $3,724.

Thursday night’s statebred events honored the memories of two gentlemen who were instrumental in the success of New York harness racing, albeit in different vocations. Barasch was a longtime publicity icon at Roosevelt Raceway, then a Yonkers Raceway consultant, then a Harness Hall of Famer. He was the brains behind many of the promotions during the sport’s heyday, most notably the wildly-popular International Trot. Crawford was a major force in the Harness Horse Breeders of New York, serving for a time as that organization’s president. He also operated one of the state’s preeminent breeding farms in central New York (Canastota).

New York Sire Stakes action continues here Friday night with the $178,522 Tuckahoe Pace (2-year-old colts/geldings) and Saturday night with the $185,238 Frank Becerra Pace (2-year-old fillies).