by M. Kelly Young, Executive Assistant, Harness Horse Breeders of New York State
LATHAM, N.Y.—In the New York Sire Stakes, it is a rare individual who can win the Sire Stakes championship at both age two and three. But during the 15th annual New York Night of Champions at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 18, last season’s freshmen champs all have a legitimate shot to double their honors in their respective sophomore divisions.
DONNA’S GIRL—3YO PACING FILLY
Donna’s Girl, a daughter of Village Jove, dominated her pacing filly division last season and has done the same this season. She is now eight-for-eight this season with earnings of $120,000.
The filly’s tendency to back off in the stretch and allow her competitors to catch up has caused some close—and anxious—finishes. But in her last start, as co-owner Claude Incaudo and the rest of the field were waiting for her signature tail off coming for home, she kept right on pacing to a 2 1/4-length victory, her largest since June.
“She didn’t have that quirk last week,” said Incaudo, who owns Donna’s Girl with Carol Okusko. “Everybody was waiting for her, all the other horses were right there trying to catch her, but she didn’t do it. We don’t know why, we’ve tried everything with her—training her longer distances, open bridle, closed bridle, everything—and she never stopped. She won a little more handily than before, too.”
Though Incaudo is not convinced his filly’s habit is gone forever, he is looking forward to the finals. “We’re really proud of her; we think she’s as good as anyone, but there isn’t a slouch in the group.”
Incaudo and Okusko are also planning on bringing Donna’s Girl back next year. “We’ll look around and choose some stakes to put her in,” said Incaudo. “We hope we have the next Bunny Lake (the last pacing filly to take home two NYSS championships). We should only be so lucky.”
Donna’s Girl will start from post six in race nine as the 6-5 morning line favorite.
ULEAVEMEBREATHLESS—3YO PACING COLT
Though he was the returning Sire Stakes champion this season, Uleavemebreathless got into the final by the skin of his teeth. It wasn’t that he had trouble keeping up with his peers, it was just numbers.
Uleavemebreathless, delayed at the start of the season due to an injury, competed in just three of the five Sire Stakes legs, the minimum required for eligibility into the final. After breaking and finishing out of the money in his first Sire Stakes start of the year, the Sealed N Delivered colt rattled off impressive victories in the final two legs, earning just enough points to qualify for the championship.
“We were lucky enough to win in those two starts and to get into the final,” said owner and breeder Mathias Meinzinger, who owns Sealed N Delivered. “From the performances recently, in my opinion, he should win the race. But this is a horse race, so you never know, anything can happen.”
Meinzinger regrets that he will be away in Chicago on Saturday—hopefully watching his race at an OTB—but partner Thomas Haupert and Meinzinger’s entourage will be at the track cheering Uleavemebreathless home.
“We’re really hoping he can win, it would be so exciting to have him win it twice,” concluded the owner.
Uleavemebreathless will start from post two in race 11 as the 8-5 morning line favorite.
BECCA J—3YO TROTTING FILLY
Becca J not only made it into the Sire Stakes final again, but it’s looking oddly similar to her freshman match: seven of the eight horses in the field are returning, Becca is again the favorite as part of an entry with Sugar On Top, and her starting post is identical.
“It’s impossible for her to get the eight hole as a two and three year old,” said owner Ken Jacobs laughing. “The odds are in the millions.”
But how tough will it really be for his filly, who has won four of the five Sire Stakes legs? “Well, I’m pretty high on her,” admitted Jacobs. “It’s going to be a chore (from post eight), there are some good horses in there. But you have to go with the cards you are dealt. Hopefully she’ll be able to overcome it.”
In her 2-year-old final, Becca J took an early seat and then went to the lead at the half to win in 2:02.1. But whatever route she takes this year, and whether or not she makes a stop in the winner’s circle, the Sir Taurus filly will be in a truck to Lexington on Monday. She is scheduled for several Grand Circuit starts at The Red Mile and will be heading to the barn of trainer Jimmy Takter.
Becca J will start from post eight in race seven as the 7-5 morning line favorite. She is part of one of two common owner entries in the field.
LAST CALL AT DEM’S—3YO TROTTING COLT
Ray Schnittker starts six horses on the Night of Champions—Twin B Senorita, Creditability, Hewitt Blue Chip, Connors Blue Chip, Tracy Loves Magic and last year’s trotting colt champ Last Call At Dem’s.
“It’s a good night to be busy,” admits the trainer and driver. “I drew well with all of them and if they all make money, I’ll be very happy.”
The namesake of co-owner Stephen Demeter’s bar, Last Call At Dem’s improved significantly in his last Sire Stakes start, a victory by a neck, after a disappointing finish in the previous leg.
“I don’t know why he threw that clunker,” said Schnittker of the fifth-place finish after cutting the mile at Monticello. “He may have been a little sick. He never took hold of the bit that night and just didn’t get into it. He was good at Freehold after that and was real strong at Yonkers (winning the final Sire Stakes leg). The rest of them were getting tired and he just dug in.”
“Last Call,” a Sir Taurus colt owned by Schnittker, Demeter and Paul Doherty, will have a break after the final before returning to the racing ranks. Schnittker hopes to find a competitive class racing him in overnights this winter.
Last Call At Dem’s will start from post three in race 10. He has been installed as the 9-2 morning line second choice after Omega Angel, who was second in the Sire Stakes final last year and starts from the rail this time.
WALLY’S BACK IN TOWN
Wally Hennessey, the longtime leading New York Sire Stakes driver, will be back for the Night of Champions after taking a hiatus from the Empire State for most of the season.
Instead of heading north for the hectic stakes season in New York, he opted to stay in Florida where he trained a stable of 15 with brother Dan during the extended Pompano Park racing meet.
“Anytime you take yourself out of your routine, you are a duck out of water,” explained Hennessey. “I had been going to New York for the Sire Stakes for about 15 years.
The change was good for the most part, but sometimes you miss it.”
Upon special request, he is returning to Yonkers to drive three finalists, all rated longshots by the morning line oddsmaker. “The (trainers) were realistic when they called, they said they weren’t going to be the favorites, but they were good horses,” Hennessey said from Florida. “But I’ve had plenty of favorites that didn’t win, too.”
However, the driver, who has won several Sire Stakes finals in some years, is more than happy to hop a plane for his only New York appearance since the very first Sire Stakes division competed at the beginning of the summer. He will be driving the Sam Serianni-trained pacing fillies Belle Reve (2-year-old) and Café Bar (3-year-old) and the Perry Simser-trained 2-year-old trotting colt Peppermint Devil.
Hennessey escaped much of the destruction caused by the recent hurricanes that hit Florida, but will be just in time for the expected rain at Yonkers on the Night of Champions resulting from Hurricane Ivan. But according to the driver, there’s an upside to the wet weather.
“Unless it’s changed since I was there last year, when it rains at Yonkers, the track tightens up more than it gets messy,” he said. “It will still be muddy, don’t get me wrong, and nobody wants to see it rain, but it can make it little more competitive for all the horses out there.”
SIRES OF THE FINALISTS
The following stallions will send out finals on the 2004 Night of Champions:
TROTTERS PACERS
BJ’s Super Star (1) Covert Action (1)
Camelot Ernst (1) David’s Pass (1)
Credit Winner (8) Held For Ransom (1)
El Paso Kash (3) Kassa Branca (3)
Esquire Spur (1) Magical Mike (15)
Giant Hit (5) On The Road Again (2)
Lainie’s Star (1) Sealed N Delivered (2)
Lion King (1) Three Wizzards (1)
Majestic Victory (1) Village Jove (6)
Movie Mogul (1)
Sir Taurus (9)