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

Yonkers, NY — That Jim Raymer is one greedy guy.

A scant 48 hours after his owned and trained Green Day won the $644,770 final of the Yonkers Trot, Raymer saw his owned and trained freshman trotting filly Happy Ticket set a track record as part of Monday night’s (August 27) $248,025 New York Sires Stakes Mike Cohen at Yonkers Raceway. The event honored the memory of Yonkers’ former publicity director.

With Mike Simons doing the honors for the Raymers’ (Jim and wife Mary) Trillium Racing Stable, Happy Ticket won her $49,245 division in 1:59.2. The daughter of Malabar Man went up and over Pose For Me (Jim Morrill, Jr.) going toward the 1:29.2 three-quarters, then held Princess Maddie (Stephane Bouchard) at bay by a half-length.

The previous rookie trotting lass standard was Sir Dream’s 2:00.4, with Mickey McNichol driving (also in NYSS company) nearly five years ago.

Happy Ticket ($4.90), driven by someone other than Raymer for the first time, now has three wins and a pair of seconds in five (NYSS) ’07 tries, and has earned just under $59,000.

“I’d seen her and seen her ability,” Simons said. “She handled herself very well.”

Raymer and Simons almost had their own NYSS daily double, but Nirvana Blue Chip — after recovering from a pre-gate break — could not survive the elongated game of catch-up in her $50,145 division.

It turned out to be Nirvana — at a $61 mutuel — for Fresco’s Winner (Brian Mattison), who was three-quarters of a length better than Nirvana Blue Chip in 2:03. Co-owned and trained by Paul Kelley, the daughter of Credit Winner has two wins (at 28-1 and 29-1) and two thirds in four seasonal efforts.

Monday’s other three NYSS events, worth $50,145, $49,245 and $49,245, respectively, were:

• Perfect Score (by Conway Hall); owner Purple Haze Stable/trainer Jessica Okusko/driver Jim Morrill, Jr.; 2:02/$10.40
• Makeherownway (by Malabar Man); owner Robert Rosenheim Stable/trainer-driver Pascal Beaulieu; 2:01.4/$9
• It’s Coast Time (by Credit Winner); owner Tom Lail/trainer Tom O. Lail/driver Jeff Gregory; 2:00.4/$3 (now 4-for-4 to begin her career)

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.