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

Yonkers, NY — Beginning Tuesday evening (June 16), Yonkers Raceway hosts three nights and three divisions of New York Sire Stakes through the race week.

Tuesday night offers the $219,000 Mike Cipriani Trot for 3-year-old fillies, comprised of races two, three, six, seven and eight. She’s So Savvy, the NYSS rookie divisional champ, drew post position two in the last ($43,960) division. Howard Okusko, Jr. takes his usual seat as the lass looks to add to her 6-for-9 (nearly $183,000) career resume.

Thursday night, four consecutive (races four through seven) groupings of soph fillies go at it in the $220,224 Mount Vernon Pace. On The Glass (Jason Bartlett) and Witch Is Bettor (Kyle DiBenedetto), each a NYSS winner here a week ago, each landed an eight-hole (second and third divisions) this time around.

The final foray looms the toughest, with Lismore lass B Intensified (Jordan Stratton, post three) stepping back to statebreds, opposing last week’s winners Bet On Luck (Bartlett, post two) and Up Front Kellie Jo (Dan Cappello, Jr., post five).

Friday night, the $216,465 White Plains Trot finds five divisions (races four, five, six, eight and nine) of 3-year-old cots and geldings.

Russell Hill, winner of the $206,275 Empire Breeders Classic and a NYSS event (from the eight-hole) at Monticello, landed post seven in the final ($43,293) event. Jim Morrill, Jr. takes his usual seat chauffeuring Russell Hill, as do both Jeff Gregory behind Donttellmywife and Doug R. Ackerman behind Judge Joe.

The former, last season’s divisional champ and track record holder (frosh trotting geldings), drew post six in the second NYSS event, while the latter, 3-for-3 (2-for-2 in NYSS competition) to begin his 3-year-old season, landed outside of his six rivals in the opening White Plains division.