by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — In a sport that’s more often than not measured in miles, milestones come with the territory. Such was the case Tuesday night (September 20), with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $253,593 New York Sire Stakes Larchmont Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings. Three $47,531 divisions were consecutively contested, three pole positions won the races and one Jim Morrill, Jr. quickly became the storyline.
Mike Lizzi photo
Jim Morrill, Jr. was presented with a congratulatory sign after winning his 5,000th race.
Morrill, who entered the evening with 4,998 career wins (after a pair of sire stakes wins here Monday night), easily found No. 4,999 with JK Camelot ($9.30) in the first statebred event.
Taking no prisoners from the pylons, JK Camelot led through intervals of :28, :56.4, 1:25 and 1:53.2. The third wagering choice dusted his rivals by three lengths, with 52-1 shot Bombay Away (Sam Caruso, Jr.) grabbing second over Bolero Andrew (Jim Pantaleano). Townslight Hanover (Andrew McCarthy), the 11-10 favorite, was a weak, first-over sixth.
JK Camelot, an Art Major gelding trained by Mark Kesmodel for co-owners Jeffrey Baimond and Scott Alberg, posted his fifth win in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $136.50, with the triple returning $418.50.
Morrill again grabbed the gauntlet early in the second sire stakes grouping. He left hard with 3-10 fave Mojo Terror, stuffing Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam (Patrick Lachance) in behind. From there, weigh stations of :27.3, :56 and 1:24.3 gave him a 1-1/2 length lead turning for home. Mojo Terror needed only to hold off Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam, which he did by a comfortable length in 1:53. American Romance (Pantaleano) was a best-of-the-rest third.
Mojo Terror, a Western Terror gelding owned by Bulletproof Enterprises and trained by Chirrs Oakes, returned $2.70 for his 11th win in 18 seasonal work nights. The exacta (two choices) paid $6.20, with the triple returning $48.
“I’m very fortunate to get to this point (5,000 wins),” Morrill — who won his first race in 1984 — said. “I don’t know what I can add, only to say it’s all about the horses. They’re the ones who make you look good.
“I’ve driven a lot of outstanding horses for a lot of good owners and trainers, and I really do appreciate it.”
He was presented with a congratulatory sign by the Raceway for his latest accomplishment.
Morrill, a 46-year-old native of Methuen, Mass., is closing in on $70 million in career earnings. His 1:50.4 effort behind Silver Almahurst in the 1993 final of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series remains the Raceway’s all-age, flat-mile record.
Tuesday night’s final NYSS event saw pocket-sitter fave Wind Me Up (Cat Manzi, $3.30) duck inside to pick off Flipper J (Jason Bartlett) by a couple of lengths in 1:53. Major Belle (Stephane Bouchard) was third.
Wind Me Up, a son of Bettor’s Delight co-owned by (trainer) George Teague Jr., Ted Gewertz, Robert Feldman and Fannin Racing, is now 3-for-10 this season. The exacta paid $9, the triple returned $52.50 and the superfecta (Lucky Cadet was fourth) paid $163.
Next on the local driver milestone watch is Steve Smith, who remains at 2,999 career wins after going 0-for-3 Tuesday night.
New York Sire Stakes continue here Friday night, with the $250,011 Ardsley Pace for 2-year-old fillies.