by Keith Gisser, director of publicity, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — The first crop of stallion Yankee Cruiser made a big impression in Friday’s (June 29) five $20,000 Ohio Sires Stakes 2-year-old filly paces.

Yankee Cruiser fillies won four of the five heats and Yankee’s Royalty was second in the finale, costing dad a sweep on the night. Nonetheless, it was the most dominating single night for a sire in Ohio since the early days of Nobleland Sam.

Mark Wooten’s Cruzin Inya Jammys kicked the evening off with a 1:58.3 win and then Corner Cruiser scored in an identical time for Steven Sexton. Kyle Ater and Chip Noble drove those fillies. Yankee Pankee BB posted a very fast 1:56 win from post eight for Sylvia Burke, Frank Baldachino and Weaver Bruscemi, and then Medoland Taranicol rolled in 1:58.3 for Tammy Hoovler, Mike Medors and Elizabeth and Dick Brandt.

The next night, at Scioto Downs, the Yankee’s male offspring cruised to three more Sires Stakes wins.

A millionaire son of Artiscape and North America Cup winner, Yankee Cruiser stands stud at Midland Acres. For those of you who keep track of such things, four of the winners over the weekend were from Nobleland Sam mares. Can you say Golden Cross?

A bigger night for Yankee cruisers: Hey we’re in the North and that makes us Yankees, and one lucky Northfield Park patron will be cruising home in a 2007 Pontiac Solstice convertible after a drawing on Saturday evening, July 7.

The entry box has been open since early June and patrons can enter once a day right up until 9:45 p.m. on Saturday. The only caveats are (as stated) that patrons may enter just once a day and the winner must be present on Saturday in order to win the $25,500 vehicle.

The Solstice is offered in cooperation with the Jay Auto Group, which is also celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year

Oh, one more caveat — there is some legal mumbo jumbo you must know, so log on to www.northfieldpark.com/promotions.asp for a complete set of rules. The rules are also available at Northfield Park.

Cruise on down: Of course folks will want to be here for the Solstice Giveaway Saturday, but they will also want to cruise down to Northfield on Friday, July 6 as the track hosts another set of Ohio Sires Stakes, each worth $20,000…The Sires Stakes return again on Friday, July 21…The entry box for our next car giveaway, a Pontiac G6 convertible, opens on Friday, July 27 at 3:00 p.m. and remains open right through 9:45 p.m. on August 25, when the car will be given away. At the end of that night, the culmination of Northfield’s 50th Anniversary, there will be a fireworks extravaganza…Saturday, July 28, Northfield hosts the $200,000 Summit County Fair Buckeye Super Stakes and that means the track is open at 12:00 noon for simulcasting action, including Chester Downs and Colonial Downs, Northfield’s Players Club double points tracks for July.

I have run out of Yankee Cruiser references and don’t want to bora bora you: Dennis “Flash” Cheesebrew may be the hottest trainer in the country, even if he does only condition one horse. When top driver Tony Morgan purchased Borabora Jana in May, he turned her over to Cheesebrew, who has worked as a second trainer with Mike Weller and Mark Deaton.

The Fit For Life mare is the first “Flash” has been listed as trainer on and she has responded with four wins and a second in five starts, all with Todd Jones driving. That gives Cheesebrew a gaudy .911 Universal Trainer Rating System rating. Borabora Jana won again Saturday night, posting her second consecutive lifetime mark, a 1:57 win from post eight.