by M. Kelly Young, executive assistant, the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — JK Let It Ride dropped her personal best on a half-mile track by a full four seconds in winning her $42,793 New York Sire Stakes division for 2-year-old filly pacers at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Friday, July 21.

Stephane Bouchard directed the daughter of Bettor’s Delight to a 1:56.2 score, setting a new career mark and recording the fastest of seven divisions that evening. She is trained by Linda Toscano for the 3 Brothers Stables (Alan, Ronald and Steven Katz).

Dave Oxford Photo

Bet Your Life–Stephane Bouchard directed Bettor’s Delight filly Bet Your Life to a 1:57.3 victory, one of two for trainer Ed Hart Friday at Saratoga.

JK Let It Ride also won in the first Sire Stakes leg in 2:00.2 at Buffalo and kept her record perfect in two career starts.

Overwhelming 1-9 favorite Bettoronthebeach won as expected in a mile-cutting 1:58.3 with Jeff Gregory on board. The Bettor’s Delight filly is owned by the Bettoronthebeach Stable, which is composed of Martha and Milton Frank, Ted Gewertz, John Fodera, Alvin Jacobson, Sidney Korn, Myron and Stephanie Bell’s Riverview Farms and trainer Chris Ryder. The high-powered group grabbed the filly for $17,000 as a yearling in Harrisburg and so far she has not made a mistake.

Gregory also handled the filly in a qualifier at the Meadowlands and said she was equally skilled on a mile and half-mile track.

“She’s been good every where,” he said with a smile in the winner’s circle. “She’s very fast and she’s a quick learner.’

Trainer Ed Hart continued his winning Sire Stakes season with two victories on the card. Bet Your Life (Bettor’s Delight) and Bouchard won by a neck in 1:57.3 over Liv Blue Chip to keep the filly perfect in three career starts and pushed her bankroll to $31,250 for Blue Chip Partners.

“So far so good with this one,” said Bouchard, who has been her only driver.

“I was confident at the end and I wasn’t driving hard at all,” he added of the close finish.

Hart also sent out Paula’s Best, a Pro Bono Best filly for Jeffrey Snyder. Despite being sick enough to scratch out of the first Sire Stakes leg last week, the filly bounced back to win in 1:58.3 with Brian Cross.

Also winning were Yankee Lacey (Bettor’s Delight) in 1:59; La Diavla (Riverboat King) in 1:59.2; and The Isle Of Pan (Noble Ability) in 1:59.3.

The Sire Stakes divisions produced two winners each for drivers Bouchard, Gregory and Saratoga-based Cross. It was also a strong night for sire Bettor’s Delight, whose offspring scored four victories.

Total New York Sire Stakes purses for the card totaled $294,751.