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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway Tuesday night (Aug. 8) played host to the $162,500 New York Sire Stakes Milt Taylor Trot for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Three divisions, worth $54,000 each, went postward.

Mike Lizzi photo

Fourth Dimension scored in 1:57 to match the track record.

The ‘fastest was the lastest’ as odds-on Fourth Dimension (Brian Sears, $2.60) easily won the evening’s final sire stakes soiree. Having to wait his turn for the lead, Fourth Dimension — from post No. 6 — did just that.

Once there, few issues (:28.1,:58, 1:27.2, 1:57), with the effort matching Dejarmbro’s (Sept. 2010) track record for frosh trotting colts. The margin was 1-1/4 lengths in and out of the final turn and 2-1/4 lengths at the wire. Perlucky (Trond Smedshammer), at 25-1, offered good late trot to grab second from Rich Uncle (George Brennan) while 54-1 number Ronnie Goldstein (Kim Crawford) was fourth.

Fourth Dimension, a Chapter Seven-Corazon Blue Chip colt owned by Courant Inc. and trained by Marcus Melander, is now a perfect three-for-three (all in NYSS) to begin his career. The exacta paid $32.40, the triple returned $102 and the superfecta paid $2,717.

“I don’t know what I can say about him other than he’s a superb athlete,” was Melander’s winner’s circle summation.

The opening event saw second choice Clive Bigsby (Jason Bartlett, $4.60) get the jump on 3-5 Funknpancakes (Corey Callahan), beating that rival handily in 1:58.2.

Away fourth from position No. 7, Clive Bigsby saw Alex The Great (Andy Miller) move around Funknpancakes and lead through intervals of :29.4 and :59.4. Clive Bigsby then challenged through the 1:29.3 three-quarters, putting Alex The Great away. The new leader opened a 1-1/2 length lead in the lane then, with an extricated Funknpancakes in pursuit, widened to three lengths at the wire. Alex The Great was a clear third.

For Clive Bigsby, a Muscle Mass-Northern Flare gelding co-owned by trainer George Ducharme and Winners Racing Stable, it was his fourth win in five seasonal starts (two-for-three in NYSS). The exacta paid $7, with the triple returning $28.60.

“He’s just a handy horse with a good attitude,” Bartlett said. “When I made the lead, his ears pricked right up and he took off.”

The second sire stakes grouping, pared to a gang of seven, was won by a pocketed Purpose Blue Chip (Dan Daley, $7).

In play from post No. 3, Purpose Blue Chip was sequestered behind even-money choice Cruising In Style (Bartlett) as that one led strung-out rivals (:29.1, :59.2, 1:29). Despite cruising in style, Cruising In Style was unable to close the sale. Up a length off the final turn, he watched as Purpose Blue Chip went by…with purpose. The final margin was 1-1/2 lengths in 1:58.4, with The Veteran (Brian Sears) making up some 10 lengths in the back half to finish third.

For third choice Purpose Blue Chip, a son of Chapter Seven-Munis Blue Chip trained by his driver for co-owners Ann-Mari Daley, James Crawford IV, Richard Lombardo and Donald Brenner, it was a maiden-breaker after a pair of seconds. The exacta paid $14.80, with the triple returning $52.