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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway on Tuesday night (July 18) plays host to a bevy of young ladies, comprising the $159,500 New York Sire Stakes Bruce Hamilton Trot for 2-year-fillies.

The event again honors the memory of the longtime Executive Secretary of the Harness Horse Breeders of New York, one of the Empire State’s true movers and shakers who also happened to be one of its finest people.

There are no shortage of first-season females hitting town, as in six divisions (races five through 10) during the dozen-race card. First post is the usual 7:10 p.m. The groupings go for anywhere from $26,000-$27,000, depending upon number of starters.

The road to the winner’s circle in a fair amount of these divisions seemingly goes though co-owner/trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt.

Lucky Ava drew outside her six rivals in the third division. The daughter of Lucky Chucky-Ava Marion, co-owned by Svanstedt (with Little E LLC and Van Camp Trotting), went the distance (2:01.3) in her Buffalo bow.

Svanstedt and Plunge Blue Chip (post five) loom a short price in the fourth event. The Muscle Mass-Dunk The Donato miss, co-owned (with breeder Blue Chip Bloodstock), threw down a 2:00 gauntlet in her purse debut, also in a New York Sire Stakes event at Hamburg.

Svanstedt teams with Natalie Hanover (post seven) from the outside venue in the penultimate Hamilton event. As with her stablemates, Natalie Hanover shuffled off to Buffalo and won (2:04) at first (NYSS) asking. The Chapter Seven-Nanticoke Hanover miss is co-owned by Svanstedt-Nasstrom Stable, Van Camp Trotting, Anders Olsson and Lars Berg.

The stable’s lone first-out non-winner, Fury Road, starts from post No 2 in the evening’s final statebred event. The daughter of Muscle Mass-Bar Ballad, owned by Knuttson Trotting, finished a solid second in her debut.

Not every early-season standout is sent out by Svanstedt.

Oooteeny (Mark MacDonald, post three) landed in the third NYSS event fresh off a 31-1 Buffalo score in 2:03.4. The daughter of Credit Winner-Lindys Head Nurse is trained by Jim Campbell for owner Runthetable Stables.

Lima Novelty (Jason Bartlett, post three), the lass who picked off Fury Road in western New York (2:01.3), found her way into the evening’s fifth foray. This Chapter Seven-No Pictures Please lass is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano.