by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway hosts its first New York Sire Stakes event of the season Thursday night (June 19), with the $221,000 Hugh Grant Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

Three divisions go as races one (purse $72,800), four ($74,100) and 11 ($74,100) on the 12-race program.

The opening event looks to be a two-horse affair with Western Conquest (Marcus Miller, post one) hooking Ideal Fashion (David Miller, post three). Both are sons of American Ideal, with the former twice a recent NYSS bridesmaid. The latter makes his seasonal NYSS debut after testing the local open waters in the Art Rooney Pace (third in elimination, eighth in final).

Thursday’s second Grant go-round finds Jeneral Patton (Tim Tetrick, post three), fresh off a life-best 1:49.4 sire stakes effort at Vernon. The Art Major colt, unraced at 2, is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano.

Sir Sam’s Z Tam (Pat Lachance, post one) has a Tioga NYSS win on his seasonal resume.

The evening’s final statebred soiree looms quite compelling, with Twin B Speedo (Mark MacDonald, post four) and El Bloombito (Tetrick, post seven) having gone good things north of here already this season. Twin B Speedo and El Bloombito were both winners at Tioga, with the latter subsequently winning at Vernon.

Meanwhile, Capital Account (Yannick Gingras, post five) and Ideal Cowboy (Brian Sears, post six) each tried their fortunes in the North America Cup, though neither qualified for the final.

The Raceway’s five night per week live schedule is back in business, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 p.m. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily.