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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night fare featured the $291,475 New York Sires Stakes Armand Palatucci Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

Three divisions — worth $96,025, $97,725 and $97,725, respectively — went at it.

The opening group saw Bet The Moon (Jim Morrill, Jr.) last on the lead in a life-best effort. In play from post position No. 4, Bet The Moon led the lads through fractions of :27.1, 56.1, 1:24.1 and 1:52.4.

Bettor Than You (George Brennan), as the 3-4 favorite, played the role of first-up chaser, only to miss by a head. Third went to Scalped (Brian Sears), never a threat to the leading pair.

Second choice Bet The Moon, a son of Bettor’s Delight owned by Edwin Gold and trained by Ron Burke, returned $6.20 for his second (sire stakes) win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $12, with the triple returning $27.20.

Fool Me Once (#5) was a narrow winner in a time of 1:51.3.

The middle event figured to be enticing, and it did not disappoint. Odds-on Fool Me Once (Scott Zeron) left to the lead from post No. 5, putting up intervals of :27.3 and :55.4. He then had his own private battle with a first-up Captive Audience (Sears) in and out of a 1:23.4 three-quarters.

Neither was giving in, with the former holding off the latter by a nose in 1:51.3 (last quarter :27.4). It was a fair effort from two colts, neither of whom had ever been over a half-mile track before. Doctor Butch (Brennan), the Rooney winner, was a best-of-the-rest third, beaten 2-1/2 lengths.

Fool Me Once, an Art Major colt co-owned by trainer Mark Austin and Daniel Smith, returned $2.40 for his sixth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $4.80, the triple (three wagering choices in order) returned $14 and the superfecta (Hail The Taxi and Jordan Stratton were fourth) paid $38.20.

“Anytime you make a first start on a half, you’re always a bit concerned,” Zeron said. “I wanted to leave, but at the same time be cautious. When (Captive Audience) moved alongside down the back, he actually put a head in front, but my colt dug in.

“They’re just two very game horses.”

Sean Hamrock photos

Source Of Pride scored in a track record time of 1:50.4.

The third division saw Source Of Pride (Sears, $2.90) scribble his name in the track record book as the fastest sophomore pacing colt ever.

That happened after a 1:50.4 Westchester waltz (:26.3, :54, 1:21.4) from post No. 2 earned him a three-quarter length victory over a closing Olde Time Hockey (Morrill Jr.). Third went to Track Master D (Jason Bartlett).

“He was very impressive,” Sears said. “He did it on his own. He was getting tired late, but I never thought he was going to get beat.”

Ironically, Sears’ name was conjoined to the old record holder, Pet Rock’s 1:51 effort in last season’s Art Rooney Pace.

Source Of Pride, a son of American Ideal trained by Jimmy Takter for co-owners (breeder) Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Louie Camara, is now four-for-nine this season. The exacta paid $5.40, with the triple (again, three wagering choices in order) returning $17.40.

The second round of Yonkers’ Jackpot Next Door Claiming Series featured seven races (five for lads, two for lasses), identical to a week ago, only this time, any claim on a horse’s second series start was accompanied by a 50 percent premium, in addition to normal allowances for age and gender.

After 139 claims were entered on 25 different horses in the first round, this week’s tally showed a total of 22 slips filled out on seven different horses.

The five-Friday series offers a $20,000 purse for each preliminary race. The finals, worth $76,000 (boys) and $59,900 (girls), and their requisite consolations, are scheduled for July 26.

Yonkers’ pair of Friday night $46,000 co-featured Open Handicaps — for trotters and distaff pacers — were won by Somebody AS (Jeff Gregory, $25.20) in a life-best 1:55 and Royal Cee Cee N (Stratton, $7.10) in 1:52.4.