by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — First year femmes flaunted their form on Friday night (September 3) at Yonkers Raceway in the $144,652 New York Sires Stakes Port Chester Pace.
Separated into $72,326 six-packs, the first foray went pretty much as expected. Division dominatrix Chapeau (Jeff Gregory) went the route, prevailing by two and a half lengths in 1:581. The lass, leaving from post postion three, put up fractions of :284, :593 and 1:291.
The frosh daughter of Magical Mike, who entered with four consecutive open lengths Sires Stake victories, defeated a loose pocket-sitting Belle Reve (Greg Merton), with Magically Swift (Stephane Bouchard) a best of the rest third. One Wish (Bill Bailey) and Giorgi’s Bambina (Rodney LaFramboise) completed the cashers, while Panimal Farm (Joe Pavia, Jr.) brought up the rear.
Chateau, owned by Mike Polansky and trained by Dave Spagnola, has five wins and two thirds in eight seasonal starts and more than $97,000 to her credit. She returned a miniscule $2.10, leading an $8.60 exacta and $24 triple.
Friday’s second Port Chester parade saw Venus Blue Chip and trainer/driver Joe Pavia, Jr. come from last to outgame 1-2 favorite Pop Queen (Gregory) on the money.
“Venus,” another Magical Mike miss, outdrew no one and was content to trail early. New Bristol Josie (LaFramboise) led the lasses through early fractions of :294 and 1:002. Venus Blue Chip alertly rushed up from last coming to the half, flushing out Pop Queen.
The latter, despite racing on one line, engaged and grinded by “Josie” in and out of the final turn. Meanwhile, Venus Blue Chip looked for all the world like she was going to name her margin, but Pop Queen hung tough. “Venus” did stick her neck out at the appropriate interval, getting the nod in 2:002. Just A Britt (Tom Edler) was more than three lengths back in third, while Seamstresforthepan (Bouchard) and Daunting Magic (Merton) also came away with some of the state’s coin. New Bristol Josie tired to last.
For Venus Blue Chip, co-owned by Steven Held, Dijo Racing and Joseph Barbera, it was her fourth win (with a pair of seconds) in seven ’04 tries. She has now socked away in excess of $85,000. “Venus” returned $6.50 as the second choice, with the exacta paying $8.10 and the triple worth $17.40.
Friday’s pair of $15,000 Open Handicaps, for distaff pacers and trotters, respectively, went to:
- Ascending, m, 4 (by Camluck); owner Blue Chip Partners/trainer Robert Horowitz/driver Gregory; 1:56/$4.10.
- Danzig, g, 7 (by Garland Lobell); owner Pound Stable/trainer Jean Claude Jobidon/driver Bouchard; 1:592/$5.20.
New York Sires Stakes sojourns continue Saturday night, with rookie pacing colts and geldings in the $147,341 Mike Cohen (two $73,670 divisions).
Yonkers currently offers a four night a week live racing schedule, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 7:40 p.m. Afternoon simulcasting continues around the NYRA schedule. The World Trotting Derby from Du Quoin (IL) is on the incoming agenda Saturday afternoon.
More NYSS action on Labor Day
No rest for the weary this end of summer weekend at Yonkers Raceway, with Monday night’s $147,781 Milt Taylor Trot for frosh colts and geldings laboriously divided into three portions.
Post time for the baker’s-dozen holiday card is 7:40 p.m., with the three NYSS events going as races four, six and eight.
The first Sire Stake event is led by Connors Blue Chip (Ray Schnittker, post one) and Victory Speech (Jeff Gregory, post three), both of whom have banked more than $30,000 this summer.
The former, a Sir Taurus colt trained by Paul Doherty for co-owners Eat My Dust Stable, Kindergarten Stud, Stephen Demeter and Herbert Burns III, has won half of his six tries. He owns NYSS victories at Monticello and Saratoga (lifetime best 2:031 effort in his last outing more than two weeks ago).
The latter, another Sir Taurus lad, is three-for-four in ’04, all in statebred competition (Monticello, Saratoga, Syracuse). He threw out a snappy 2:003 effort in suburban Albany in early August, winning by a scant 20 lengths. Dave Spagnola trains for owner Mike Polansky.
The holiday’s second NYSS grouping finds Team Schnittker’s Hewitt Blue Chip (Schnittker, post four) trying for his fourth seasonal victory. The Sir Taurus gelding owns Sires Stake wins at Monticello and Saratoga (twice), accounting for the bulk of his $36,408 take-home thus far.
Sizable Credit (Dan Daley, post five) has a pair of wins and a pair of thirds in seven ’04 outings. The Credit Winner colt rolled in a Late Closer last week at Saratoga.
The final Taylor tussle has Cromwell (Rodney LaFramboise, post three) looking to expand upon a three-for-three start to his career (two-for-two in NYSS). The son of Credit Winner, owned by Carloyn and Irv Atherton and trained by Carl Gillespie, threw down a life-best 2:024 effort at Saratoga two starts ago.
Carie’s Credit (Driver TBA, post one), B J’s Eclipse (Jim Marshall III, post two), Darsun (Bill Bailey, post four), The Big Cat (Howard Okusko, Jr., post six) and Nicky J (Gregory, post seven) have all shown promise this season.
Monday’s program also includes the $32,900 Call For Rain Pace, a New York Bred Late Closer for three-year-olds (two divisions for colts/geldings, two divisions for fillies).
Monday’s evening simulcast schedule includes Harrington (post time 5:30), Mountaineer (7:00), Northfield (7:00), Evangeline (7:45) and Hawthorne (8:40).
Yonkers is also offering full-card simulcasting of the Cane Pace card from Freehold (post time 12:30).
NYSS action resumes Tuesday night with the $153,212 Eastchester Trot, in three divisions, for two-year-old fillies.
September’s evening/harness simulcast schedule includes Buffalo Raceway, Del Mar, Delaware (OH) County Fair, Evangeline Downs, Freehold Raceway, Harrington Raceway, Hawthorne Racecourse, Hazel Park, the Meadows, Monticello Raceway, Northfield Park, Penn National, Pocono Downs, Pompano Park, Raceway Park, Red Mile and Saratoga Raceway.
For more information, or to obtain a calendar, please contact the Raceway at (914) 968-4200.