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

Yonkers, NY — Santanna Blue Chip and Badlands Nitro, who won last week’s $40,000 eliminations for Yonkers Raceway’s Art Rooney Pace, landed post positions three and six, respectively, for this Saturday night’s (July 5) $538,270 final.

Post time for the 12-race card is 6:50 p.m., with the 18th edition of the Rooney going as the 10th race. Eight 3-year-old colts will do battle in one of the Raceway’s signature events.

Santanna Blue Chip (#4) edged Meant To Be Me in their Art Rooney elimination.

Santanna Blue Chip, a millionaire son of Art Major, wired his trial field in 1:54.2. It was the first-ever Empire start for the statebred, who enters the final with career earnings of $1.15 million. The colt, who wrapped up his freshman season with wins in the Governor’s Cup and Breeders Crown, has hit the board in all 15 lifetime starts. The father/son, trainer/driver tandem of Carl and Jody Jamieson also co-own (with Jeffrey Gillis and George Arthur) Santanna Blue Chip.

Carl Jamieson co-owns and trains Legacy N Diamonds (Tim Tetrick, post four) who is pari-mutuelly paired with “Santanna.” Legacy N Diamonds, a son of The Panderosa, was a non-factor fourth in his elim to Badlands Nitro.

Badlands Nitro (Brian Sears, post six), a son of Badlands Hanover, co-owned (with John Celii) by trainer George Teague, Jr., won the faster of last week’s pair of elims in 1:51.4. That effort — in a four-horse race to eliminate no one — was two-fifths off Riyadh’s 1993 track standard for sophomore pacing colts.

Mike Lizzi photos

Badlands Nitro captured his elimination last week in 1:51.4.

Badlands Nitro has won five of his six ’08 tries ($590,353), the only loss a second-place effort (to the undefeated Somebeachsomewhere) in the $1.47 million final of the North America Cup.

Like Santanna Blue Chip, Badlands Nitro has a betting buddy of in his own in the presence of Idle Hour (Jason Bartlett, post five). That one was fourth to Santanna Blue Chip in his elim.

Teague trained Southwind Lynx to victory in the ’07 final of the Rooney, at a million dollars the richest race ever in Westchester.

The field for the final of the ’08 Art Rooney Pace, with declared drivers, is as follows: 1–Dragon King (David Miller); 2-Moon Beam (Eric Abbatiello); 3-Santanna Blue Chip (Jody Jamieson); 4-Legacy N Diamonds (Tim Tetrick, coupled with “Santanna”); 5-Idle Hour (Jason Bartlett); 6-Badlands Nitro (Brian Sears, coupled with Idle Hour); 7-Meant To Be Me (John Campbell); and 8-Dontloseyourdayjob (Yannick Gingras).

Saturday night’s progeam is undercarded by the $325,230 final of the Lismore Pace for 3-year-old fillies. The Lismore, going as the eighth race, is led by elim winners Cheyenne Trish (Campbell, post four) and Thong (Tim Tetrick, post six).

The field for the Lismore, with declared drivers, is as follows: 1-Riverbank Hanover (Sam Schillaci); 2-Chocolate Art (Bartlett); 3-Hannah Isabel (Gingras); 4-Cheyenne Trish (Campbell); 5-Ladycino (Jim Morrill, Jr.); 6-Thong (Tetrick); 7-Good News Lady (Greg Grismore); and 8-Ideal Newton (Ron Pierce).

Yonkers’ now-six-night-per-week schedule (Monday through Friday — all at 7:40 p.m. — and Saturday — 6:50 p.m.) welcomed the return of Wednesdays beginning this week. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule.