by M. Kelly Young, executive director, Harness Horse Breeders of New York

Saratoga Springs, NY — Amazing Grace scored in a $56,653 New York Sire Stakes division for 3-year-old filly trotters on Wednesday night (June 6) at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. A total of more than $340,000 was distributed in six divisions to New York-breds during the evening.

Dave Oxford photo

Amazing Grace scored in 1:59.1 in the first leg of New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Wednesday.

Owned by Michael Polansky of Loudonville, N.Y., and trained by Saratoga horseman Dave Spagnola, the filly earned her second straight win at the Spa oval. Brian Cross steered the winner to a new career mark of 1:59.1.

“She had some breathing problems as a 2-year-old, but we took her to Cornell for throat surgery and she had a few starts at the end of the Sire Stakes season last year,” explained Polansky of the lightly raced filly. “This year Dave has done a great job with her and I’m very proud of her.”

On the heels of her $180,625 Empire Breeders Classic victory, Oh Oh Its Magic scored a mile-cutting victory in her Sire Stakes division in 1:58.2. Now perfect in all four of her starts this year, the Carl Gillespie-trained daughter of Credit Winner has stamped herself as the one to beat among the trotting fillies. She is a homebred for Carolyn Atherton.

Cocktail Hour posted her first victory of the year and set a new lifetime mark of 1:58 with trainer-driver Ivan Davies in the bike. After making a first-over attempt at the half, the filly conceded to a pocket trip and chased down leader Conway Maid in the stretch. The Credit Winner filly paid $23.80 to win.

In another division, even-money favorite Rosy Prospect and driver Jim Morrill, Jr. used a first-over trip to score in 1:59. Barry Goldstein’s Willow Pond LLC owns the daughter of Conway Hall. She is trained by Trond Smedshammer and has now earned $81,824 in her career.

“She is a very intense horse,” explained Goldstein. “She’s small, but she tries her heart out.”

“I bought her as a yearling in Harrisburg and Trond didn’t look at her. When I got her back to the barn he saw her and said, ‘What did you buy? She’s a pony,’” admitted the owner. “She’s still small, she needs three steps to two from other fillies, but she goes all out and she raced well tonight.”

New Day was a 1:58.4 winner for trainer/driver Jan Johnson in their $56,653 split. Owned by Arden Homestead Stable and Adelaide Skoglund, she defeated heavily favored Julieannie by 1-1/4 lengths.

Ada Girl completed the night of Sire Stakes action with her second straight victory in a career mark of 1:59.1. Trainer/driver Ray Schnittker co-owns the Conway Hall filly with Alan Sarokhan, John Durso and David Pepin.

New York Sire Stakes action continues Friday and Saturday when the 3-year-old pacers compete at Buffalo Raceway.