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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway continues its New York Sire Stakes display Friday night, August 22, with the $236,883 White Plains Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

Post time for the baker’s-dozen bonanza is 7:40 p.m., with the quartet of statebred events going as races three, five, seven and eight.

Holiday Credit, last seen here snatching Yonkers Trot defeat from the jaws of victory with an excruciating late-stretch break, returns in Friday night’s opening ($59,770) NYSS event. Jim Morrill, Jr. drives for trainer Jimmy Tatker from post position five as the son of Credit Winner goes after his sixth win of the season. Holiday Credit, co-owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding and a pair of Swedish stables, closed for third in this past Sunday’s $500,000 Colonial at Chester. He’s banked in excess of $285,000 in ’08.

Friday night’s second ($58,670) White Plains grouping is led by Big Apple Deli (Stephane Bouchard, post one). The Conway Hall colt, a rallying third in the final of the Trot, has five wins, two seconds and two thirds ($207,393) in 11 seasonal starts. He did misbehave, however, as the odds-on choice in his division of the Zweig at Tioga. John Simpson, Jr. trains for owner Lon Frocione.

It’s awfully tough for a half-million-dollar earner to fly well under the radar, but such is the life of Make It Happen. About the only thing the son of Conway Hall has done wrong is be a stablemate of the perfect Deweycheatumnhowe. Make It Happen looms a puny pari-mutuel proposition in the penultimate ($59,770) parade. Trainer Ray Schnittker does the honors from post four for co-owners Adkins, Taylor, Eat My Dust Stable and Daisy Acres. Make It Happen, a tight-quarters second (to Napoleon) in the final of the Trot, rallied for third to “Dewey” in the $1.5 million final of the Hambletonian. He returns here after winning his division of the Zweig at Tioga. For the season, he has four victories, two seconds and two thirds ($562,202).

The final ($58,670) NYSS event includes General Royal (Bouchard, post four), a CR Excalibur gelding trained by Linda Toscano for owner Ken Jacobs. He will be going after a fourth consecutive victory.

This same sire stakes division returns here a week from Saturday night for the Armand Palatucci Trot.

Yonkers’ six-night-per-week live harness schedule (Monday through Friday — all at 7:40 p.m. — and Saturday — 6:50 p.m.) is in effect through October. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule.