by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s first September program finds New York Sires Stakes action in Friday night’s $144,652 Port Chester Pace for frosh fillies.
Post time for the 10 race card is 7:40 p.m., with the pair of $72,326 six-pack Sires Stake events going as races five and six.
Friday’s first Port Chester posse includes Chapeau (Jeff Gregory, post three), a perfect four-for-four against statebreds this summer. The daughter of Magical Mike, owned by Mike Polansky and trained by Dave Spagnola, owns NYSS wins at Vernon, Monticello, Syracuse and Saratoga, while earning $60,929.
Belle Reve (Driver TBA, post one) steps up after handling the Late Closers in her most recent try in the Catskills. Another Magical Mike lass, this plebe is trained by Sam Serianni for co-owners Slo-Down Stable, Samuel Elkin, Edmund Namiotka, Jr. and Vincent Tancredi.
Magically Swift (Stephane Bouchard, post five) and Giorgi’s Bambina (Rod LaFramboise, post six) each try for their second victory of the season, while One Wish (Bill Bailey, post two) has been thrice third in her four starts.
Friday’s second NYSS event finds Venus Blue Chip (Joe Pavia, Jr., post six) having to overcome the outside starting location. Yet another Magical Mike ma’am, “Venus” has socked away $49,294, with three wins and a pair of seconds in her half-dozen summer sojourns.
Pavia, who also trains for co-owners Steven Held, Dijo Racing and Joseph Barbera, has guided the lass to Sires Stake wins at Vernon and Saratoga.
She owns a 1:572 life-best effort, taken in her first purse try at Pocono.
Just A Britt (Tom Edler, post five), second to Venus Blue Chip up the Thruway/Northway 13 nights ago, owns a NYSS win at Syracuse, and enters with just under $30,000 to her credit this season. The Kassa Branca lass has been in the money in five of her eight ’04 efforts.
Pop Queen (Gregory, post four) has hit the board in all five tries (two wins, two seconds, one third) with more than $34,000 on account. The daughter of Magical Mike, co-owned by Fred Monteleone and Salvatore Promuto and trained by Jimmy Cruise, Jr., has Sires Stake wins at Syracuse and Monticello.
Friday’s card also includes the dual $15,000 Open Handicaps, for distaff pacers (fourth race) and trotters (seventh race).
Get Over Lil (Jay Randall, post six) and Jetset Matt (Lou Paulucci, post seven) look to defend their respective titles.
“Lil” has hit the board in her last five efforts (one win, one second, three thirds) and tries for her sixth seasonal victory. The five-year-old daughter of Walton Hanover, owned by Larry Kovacs and Linda Condon and trained by Sonny Dancer, enters with career earnings in excess of $184,000.
Ascending (Gregory, post eight) is back for her first visit in a month, having hit the board in her last six Westchester tries. The four-year-old Camluck miss, an upstate winner a week ago, has 11 victories in 26 seasonal tries.
Jetset Matt won last week’s trotting feature despite three weeks out of the box. The five-year-old Earl gelding, owned by Theodore Collas and trained by Carl Tirella, eyes an eighth ’04 victory.
T W Rambo (Mike Forte, post six) and Bodacious Storm (Jim Meittinis, post five) were two-three in last week’s Open Handicap. The former has been first or second in six of his last eight tries, while the latter has hit the board in four consecutive efforts.
Friday’s evening simulcast schedule includes the Meadows (post time 4:00), Del Mar (6:30), Northfield (7:00), Raceway (7:00), Saratoga (7:00), Pompano (7:20), Scioto (7:30) and Retama (7:45).
Yonkers’ current four night per week schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday) has a first post of 7:40 p.m. Afternoon simulcasting continues to be offered around the NYRA schedule.
September’s evening/harness simulcast schedule includes Buffalo Raceway, Del Mar, Delaware (OH) County Fair, Du Quoin (IL) State Fair, Evangeline Downs, Freehold Raceway, Harrington Raceway, Hawthorne Racecourse, Hazel Park, the Meadows, Monticello Raceway, Northfield Park, Penn National, Pocono Downs, Pompano Park, Raceway Park, Retama Park, Red Mile, Rockingham Park and Saratoga Raceway.
For more information, or to obtain a calendar, please contact the Raceway at (914) 968-4200.