by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — This past week began with Republicans rampaging New York City and ended with driver Jeff Gregory subletting the New York Sires Stakes. Gregory swept both seven horse divisions of Saturday night’s (September 4) $147,341 Mike Cohen Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings at Yonkers Raceway. The race, which honors the memory of Yonkers’ long-time publicity director, saw Gregory prevail with Rustling Jeff and division leader Pat’s All Star. The first $73,670 statebred event saw Rustling Jeff, a son of Magical Mike, avoid some first-turn frolics and make an early lead. Leaving well from post position four (note that both inside numbers, Smoky Bonz (Clint Galbraith) and Willobee Magic (Frank Galante), misbehaved), Rustling Jeff fronted the frosh through a :284 opening quarter mile. He then yielded the floor to 2-5 favorite Eyes On Kassa (John Stark, Jr.), who reached intermission in :592 and three-quarters in 1:301. Willobee Magic recovered to challenge first-over, but never seriously threatened. Eyes On Kassa took a length and a quarter lead into the lane, and the match race was on. Rustling Jeff angled out from the pocket, making steady progress toward the people’s choice before getting up a head in a flat 2:00. Hi Sea (Howard Okusko, Jr.), who had left into a three hole from his outside starting locale, stayed there to the finish. Sundowner (Dan Capello, Jr.) and La Rock (Mark Whitcroft) also picked the state’s pocket for spare change. Rustling Jeff, owned by Emil Benvenuto and trained by Deborah Brunet, returned $8.90 as the second choice. His second win (first in NYSS competition) led a $15.60 exacta and $65.50 triple. The $36,835 payday more than tripled Rustling Jeff’s previous cash to date. Saturday’s second Cohen contest was no contest, as odds-on Pat’s All Star was left alone on the lead — and he made ’em pay. With nose on gate from post five, the son of Village Jove led the way through fractions of :29, :592 and 1:29. He then threw out a :283 kicker, widening to win by four and a quarter lengths in 1:573. Second-choice Dear Old Boy (Gaetan Brunet) chased from a very loose pocket, saving the bridesmaid slot over Tracy Loves Magic (Ray Schnittker). Whelan Mike (Okusko, Jr.) and Sergeirachpaninoff (Stark, Jr.) also more than covered their starting fees. Pat’s All Star, owned by Pat Tarsio and trained by Ray Allen, won his sixth race in seven ’04 tries (four-for-five in NYSS play), with the summer bankroll now in excess of $94,000. He paid $3.70, with the exacta worth $5.20 and the triple good for $29.80. Saturday night’s $15,000 Open Handicap Pace saw 27-1 proposition Talon Seelster (Greg Merton) find room late to upset the applecart in 1:562. Our Galvinator (Jim Marshall III) was second as the 17-10 favorite. The winner, a four-year-old Cam’s Card Shark gelding, owned by Stake Your Claim Stable and trained by Tim Case, returned $57.50 for his fifth win in 25 ’04 efforts. Yonkers currently offers a four night a week live racing schedule, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 7:40 p.m. New York Sires Stakes action continues on “Labor Night,” with the $147,781 Milt Taylor Trot for frosh colts and geldings divided into three portions (races four, six and eight). Afternoon simulcasting continues around the NYRA schedule.