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

Yonkers, NY — The New York Sires Stakes lasses made their second seasonal sojourn to Yonkers Raceway on Monday night (July 9), with 3-year-old trotters in the $293,566 Mike Cipriani.

The quintet of Cipriani events — named for the Raceway’s longtime, award-winning photogrpaher — saw the requisite amount of stars and stumblers, with the award for fastest femme going to Vanity Plates.

The daughter of Conway Hall, co-owned, trained and driven by Chris Ryder, won her $58,933 division by two lengths in a lifetime best 1:58.2, with a last half in :58.1. That was after she, as the 8-5 second choice, put away a stern, second-move challenge from 6-5 favorite Angie Blue Chip (Yannick Gingras) in a :28.3 third portion. DW’s Judy (Dan Daley) was a best-of-the-rest third.

“She’s a bit of a quirky filly, so I thought I’d be better off driving her myself from the beginning,” Ryder said. “We (co-owners Mathias Meinzinger, Margaret Dey and Crescent T Stables) had sire stakes in mind with her, and she’s turned out rather nicely.

“I just hope she doesn’t get sick for the (Sept. 15 NYSS) final, like she did last year.”

Now a six-figure career earner, Vanity Plates returned $5.30 for her second win — both in NYSS competition — in six seasonal starts. She led a $14 exacta and $44.80 triple.

Oh Oh It’s Magic remained perfect (five-for-five) against the statebreds, taking her $58,933 event as the odds-on choice in an easy 1:59. Carl Gillespie trained and Jim Morrill, Jr. drove the daughter of Credit Winner for owner Carolyn Atherton.

“She’s just a nice-mannered filly,” Morrill — who’s driven her in all New York events — said. “Even when a few of the others made breaks early, it didn’t bother her. She just went about her business.”

Princess Ironstone (Gingras) and the pace-setting Hungadream (Jim Doherty) completed the ticket. Second-choice Aiken For Clay (Stephane Bouchard) was one of the early malcontents.

For Oh Oh It’s Magic, her sixth win in seven ’07 efforts was worth $3.70 to to chalkies and upped her seasonal bankroll to more than $187,000. The exacta paid $39.60, the triple returned $167 and the superfecta (Ithink I Love You, Jeff Gregory, was fourth) was worth $975.

The evening’s first ($58,933) Cipriani event produced a 28-1 surprise in the form of Alidade (Brian Mattison), who won by a charging neck in 1:59.1 at a $58 mutuel.

Cocktail Hour (Ivan Davies), who entered play as the divisional co-leader (with Oh Oh It’s Magic), pulled uncovered down the backside (at 1-2), only to go the wrong way in a hurry. That development helped the cause of the winner, who outgamed One Day Wonder (Gingras) and Rosy Prospect (Morrill Jr.) in a life-best effort.

“She tries every start,” Mattison said. “A lot of things just went her way tonight.”

Alidade, a Credit Winner lass co-owned (and trained) by Paul Kelley, William Weaver III, Jim Winske and Sterlingbrook Racing, led a $490.50 exacta, $3,124 triple and $2,525 superfecta (first two finishers and all).

Odds-on commodities Conway Maid (John Stark, Jr., $3.10) and Ada Girl (Ray Schnittker, $3.00) easily took care of business in the other two NYSS events, worth $58,933 and $57,833, respectively. The daughters of Conway Hall — both of whom had made breaks at Goshen last weekend — prevailed in identical 1:59.2 performances.

The multi-million-dollar New York Sires Stakes traverse the state, culminated by the $1.2 million New York Night of Champions here on Saturday, Sept. 15, featuring eight, $150,000 divisional finals. Please visit www.nysirestakes.com for a complete schedule and further information.

Live racing is currently offered at Yonkers with six programs per week — Monday through Saturday nights at 7:40 p.m. Harness and thoroughbred simulcasting is available seven days a week, while Empire City’s nearly 5,500 video gaming machines are in play daily from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.