Yonkers, NY — A track record performance by Chapercraz headlined the four $225,000 New York Sire Stakes finals for 2- and 3-year-old trotters that took place as part of Saturday’s (Sept. 9) blockbuster program at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Chapercraz lowered the 3-year-old gelding track record at Yonkers on Saturday. Mike Lizzi Photo.

In the final for 3-year-old males, Chapercraz (Joe Bongiorno) left quickly from post four but would yield the front to Crown (Brian Sears) nearing the 27.3 quarter-mile marker. After Crown cleared, that left Cecil Hanover and trainer-driver Svanstedt on the outside from post eight, and they would remain in that predicament through the 56 second half and 1:25 three-quarters.

Cecil Hanover was done for the day before the field entered the final turn, giving Bongiorno the chance to bring Chapercraz to the outside on the bend. Once he was fed the clear racetrack, he sailed up to and around Crown, then drew off to prevail by open lengths in 1:53.4. Wild Bill Kelso (Tim Tetrick) pulled off the pylons from the three-hole and got up for second over a fading Crown.

That time of 1:53.4 knocked a fifth of a second off the previous record of 1:54 for a sophomore gelding trotter set by Ahundreddollarbill back on July 13, 2021, and was all the more impressive given the rain and sloppy track condition at that point.

The victorious son of Crazy Wow was sent out by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and Phil Collura. Bred by Purple Haze Stables, Chapercraz is now a five-time winner and has put away $453,854. Chapercraz paid $5.10 to win and keyed a $44.60 exacta and a $151.00 trifecta.

Two-year-old fillies kicked off the card, and Senorita Palema (Svanstedt) overcame a parked-out journey to win in 1:58.1. She left from post six and moved up to engage leader Sadbirdstillsing (Tyler Buter) past the 28.1 opening quarter, but Sadbirdstillsing and Buter weren’t in a yielding mood and left Senorita Palema on the rim through middle-half stations of 57.2 and 1:26.2.

Sadbirdstillsing maintained command around the final bend and into the lane, but Senorita Palema would not go away and forged her way by the pace-setter in deep stretch before she edged away to score by a length and a quarter. Sadbirdstillsing had to settle for second and Sister Mary Maude (Bongiorno) watched the battle the whole way from third but couldn’t advance out of that position.

A daughter of Chapter Seven bred by Winbak Farm, Senorita Palema is also trained by Svanstedt for owner Bender Sweden Inc. A $150,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, Senorita Palema has three wins and two second-place finishes from five outings and has now earned $177,900. Senorita Palema was sent off at 2-1 and returned $6.20 to win. The exacta kicked back $28.60 and the trifecta was worth $93.00.

After a heavy thunderstorm delayed the card and caused the track to be downgraded to sloppy, the 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters took to the track. Bargain (Yannick Gingras) fired to the point from post three and set a clip of 28.1, 58.4 and 1:28.4 while being pressured on the outside by a parked Titan Your Grip (Mark MacDonald) but put that foe away before they entered the stretch. However, when Titan Your Grip faded, that allowed Chaplind (Trond Smedshammer) to tip out from the pocket, and he had the best kick in the lane, getting up to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:58.3 at odds of 30-1. Bargain was second and Super Duper Cooper (Jason Bartlett) was third after a second-over trip.

Smedshammer trains and Purple Haze Stables LLC. owns Chaplind, a colt by Chapter Seven, and he was bred by Eli Miller and Peter Barbato. Chaplind, who sold for $160,000 at the 2022 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, has a record of 2-0-1 from six appearances and has now banked $172,030. He paid $62.50 to win and was atop a $370 exacta and a $1,105.00 trifecta.

Instagram Model (Bartlett) didn’t disappoint at odds of 1-9 in the final for 3-year-old fillies. She hit the front around Pride N Joy (Todd McCarthy) nearing the 28.1 quarter and would continue to show the way to the 57.1 half and the 1:25.2 three-quarters. Royal Filly (Buter) swung out first-up from fourth on the third turn and advanced into a striking position in second, but she broke on the far turn, allowing Instagram Model to cruise to the 3 1/2 length win in 1:55.1, over the 50-1 shot Pride N Joy. Canterbury Hanover (Jeff Gregory) closed well for third at 47-1.

“She’s been a pleasure, she’s an amazing horse,” said winning driver Jason Bartlett. “She was still flicking her ears a little bit (on the far turn), so I knew she was good, they weren’t beating me, it didn’t matter who was coming.”

By Chapter Seven, trained by Annie Stoebe, bred by Steve Jones and Ray Schnittker, and owned by R. Lynn Curry, Instagram Model made her eighth stop in the winner’s circle and has now pocketed $498,536 and returned $2.30 to win. The exacta was $60.50 and the trifecta $840.