by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Not wasting any time, the Empire State’s glamour boys begin the downstate New York Sire Stakes season Monday night (July 10), with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $169,500 Hugh Grant Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

A quartet of divisions — going as races two, four, five and six — highlight the dozen-race card, with the usual evening first post of 7:10 p.m.

The opening $42,975 event appears up for grabs, with Manattack (Chris Lems, post four) and America’s Fleet (Jason Bartlett, post five) each owning second-place finishes in sire stakes competition. What’s Going On (Scott Zeron, post six) is trying to regain some of the $172,000 freshman form.

The second $42,175 grouping figures to go through Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan, post three), looming the shortest price of the state races. The American Ideal gelding, trained by John Butenschoen for owner Crawford Farms Racing, chased home division-dominating Fear The Dragon in last Saturday’s half-million-dollar Hempt Memorial at Pocono. Funknwaffles was a handy NYSS winner at Vernon after finishing third locally in late May’s $300,000 Art Rooney Pace.

Statebred division three ($42,175) sees Heaven’s Gait (David Miller, post one) hit town off his win in the $75,000 consolation of the Hempt. The Rock N Roll Heaven colt, owned by John Cummins and trained by Nicholas Devita, has a spiffy 1:49 NYSS win at Vernon to his credit.

American Wiggle (Zeron, post two) threw down a 36-1 NYSS upset at Vernon in a lifetime-best 1:51 two starts ago, while Serious Major (Jim Morrill Jr., post six) has a win and a second (both at odds-on) in his two sire stakes tries. He goes out for his third different trainer (Brian Brown, Chris Ryder, Ron Burke) in as many starts. Twin B Cowboy (Mark MacDonald, post four) owns a pair of thirds in sire stakes competition this season.

Monday night’s final $42,175 Empire excursion features In A Single Bound (Billy Dobson, post three), the Roll With Joe gelding eyeing a third consecutive NYSS victory and a sixth win in eight seasonal starts.