Messenger draws compact field of six
October 15, 2008,by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — World champion Somebeachsomewhere and Adios/Little Brown Jug/Windy City Pace winner Shadow Play lead a small — but very select — field of a half-dozen for Yonkers Raceway’s $559,070 Messenger Stakes.
The six-pack of pacing colts means the Messenger, final leg of the Pacing Triple Crown, goes as a one-dash-for-the-cash event on Saturday night, Oct. 25.
In addition to Somebeachsomewhere and Shadow Play, the field for the Messenger includes Brother Ray, Dali, Santanna Blue Chip and Legacy N Diamonds.
Nigel Soult photo
Somebeachsomewhere has won 17 of 18 career starts and earned more than $2.5 million.
For the season, The Beach has won 11 of his dozen races (with that one second in the final of the Meadowlands Pace) and $1,750,003, most of any pacer this season. His 1:46.4 blowout in a division of the Bluegrass at the Red Mile late last month tied Holborn Hanover’s all-age race record. He was a 1:47.4 winner in his Red Mile division of the Tattersalls the next week.
Somebeachsomewhere’s 3-year-old season has also been highlighted by a dominant (1:49) performance in the $1.147 million final of the North America Cup in mid-June at Mohawk as well as a flawless, two-heat effort (1:51.3, 1:49.2) in Flamboro’s Confederation Cup in mid-August.
SBSW has won 17 of 18 career starts and more than $2.5 million.
Somebeachsomewhere, a Mach Three colt co-owned (as part of Schooner Stables) and trained by Brent MacGrath, attracts regular driver Paul MacDonell for his first Westchester visit in a decade. MacDonell won the ’95 edition of the Art Rooney Pace here with Village Connection.
Shadow Play is the lone $60,000 supplemental entrant into this race. For the season, Shadow Play has won a dozen of his 21 starts, with earnings of $723,446. He hits town after a stirring, first-over victory in Maywood’s $275,000 Windy City Pace (stakes-record 1:50.4) this past Friday night. He won the Jug in straight heats, setting a world record (3:40.1) for the dual dashes.
The son of The Panderosa is co-owned by (trainer) Dr. Ian Moore, R G McGroup and hockey legend Serge Savard.
Brother Ray, a son of Dragon Again, invades after winning his $137,375 division of the Dancer last weekend at Freehold — going up and over a pace-setting, odds-on favorite in the process. Jason Bartlett, the leading local driver, retains the assignment after a successful trip to central Jersey.
Brother Ray has six wins, two seconds and three thirds in 17 ’08 efforts ($104,135). Ken Rucker trains for Robert Feldman, Howard Taylor and Niss Allen Inc.
Dali, a career winner of more than $800,000, was third to The Beach in his two most recent starts, both in Lexington. The son of Real Artist is owned by Ontario’s Uncirculated Stable and trained by Duane Marfisi, with Pat Lachance listed to drive. Dali’s lone win in 13 tries this season was in his ’08 debut, a $101,000 division of the Burlington at Mohawk. He won the ’07 final of the Woodrow Wilson ($415,000) at the Meadowlands.
Team Jamieson apparently enjoyed their summer sojourn here for the Art Rooney Pace so much that they brought the same two participants back again.
Millionaire Santanna Blue Chip was second to Badlands Nitro in the $538,270 final of the Rooney as well as runner-up to Somebeachsomewhere in the final heat of the Confederation Cup and third to him in the final of the North America Cup.
The Art Major colt ended his freshman season with a bang, winning both the Governor’s Cup (Woodbine) and Breeders Crown (Meadowlands).
Legacy N Diamonds, a son of The Panderosa, was fourth in the final of Rooney and has earned more than $260,000 in his career.
Carl Jamieson, who co-owns and trains both “Santanna” and “Legacy N Diamonds,” has enlisted Ron Pierce to drive the former and TBA to drive the latter.
The night of the Messenger also includes the companion event, the $381,020 final of the Lady Maud for soph fillies, and a pair of $100,000 invitationals, the Hudson Valley Pace and Oleg Cassini Trot.
- Purse of Messenger raised to $650,000 (Thursday, October 16, 2008)
Yonkers Raceway has announced it has raised the purse of next week’s Messenger Stakes to $650,000, from its original listed value of $559,070.