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

Yonkers, NY — Today’s phrase that pays is “Sire Stakes-A-Palooza,” with Yonkers Raceway hosting three New York Sire Stakes divisions for statebreds this week.

Monday night, it’s the $356,456 Dick McGuire Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings. Four races in succession (races five through eight) comprise the event.

The opening $89,914 division includes Tirade Hanover (Victor Kirby, post four), runner-up in last season’s frosh final and a winner earlier this season (life-best 1:53.1) in his elimination for the Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon. The Crazed gelding is trained by Tyler Raymer for co-owners Leigh Raymer, Stephen Moss and Harold and Helane Solomon.

The second $88,314 grouping finds West Side Story (George Brennan, post one) roll in off a blowout win (1:55.2) at the three turns of Georgian Downs. The son of Conway Hall, unraced at 2, has offered no middle ground this season, as evidenced by two wins and two breaks in four tries. Per Henriksen trains and co-owns (as ASA Farm) with Steve Organ.

Monday’s third $88,314 statebred event is led by Modest Prince (Jeff Gregory, post five), an RC Royalty colt who has hit the board in four of his five seasonal starts. The win was a 50-1 upset in his division of the Simpson (Meadowlands), two starts before a cut-the-mile second to Jurgen Hanover in the $259,900 final of the Empire Breeders Classic (Vernon). Linda Toscano trains for owner Richard Gutnick.

The final $89,914 sire stakes event looms more contentious than the rest, with previously-mentioned Jurgen Hanover (Brennan, post two) eying a return to winning ways. The son of Credit Winner reeled off seven consecutive wins to begin this season (including the Empire Breeders) before a non-factor fifth in his elim for the Earl J. Beal Memorial at Pocono. Donna Marshall trains for co-owners Norman and Gerald Smiley and TLP Stable.

Jacks To Open (Brian Sears, post eight) has been board-certified in all but one of his six ’13 tries, while he, Theraputic (Jim Morrill, Jr., post one) and New York’s Best (Gregory, post five) all won sire stakes events in their latest starts.

Tuesday night offers the $353,256 Art Watson Pace for 3-year-old fillies, quartered consecutively (races four through seven) at $88,314 each.

The third division looms the best, with defending sire stakes champion Summertime Lea (Morrill Jr., post two) landing right next door to Canadian upstart Belle Boyd (Jody Jamieson, post one).

Summertime Lea, a daughter of Lislea, is a big fan of the paparazzi, having had her picture taken a dozen times in 14 lifetime starts ($383,424). She is four-for-five this season, the last three (Buffalo, Tioga and a life-best 1:50.4 at Vernon) in statebred competition. Ron Burke trains and co-owns (as Burke Racing) with Frank Baldachino and Earl Smith.

Belle Boyd, a daughter of Art Major, is making her second south-of-the-border career start and half-mile debut. She romped through a pair of Woodbine series (Blossom and Princess), then finished second to the talented I Luv The Nitelife in both her elim and $384,044 final of Mohawk’s Fan Hanover. For the season, she has seven wins and a pair of seconds in nine tries ($193,095). Carl Jamieson trains and co-owns (with Thomas Kyron and Joanne Morrison) the lass.

Other early favorites include Cheyenne Miriam (Simon Allard, post five) in the first division, Bettor Think Twice (Cat Manzi, post three) in the second grouping and Lismore winner JK Black Beauty (Sears, post five) in the final event.

Friday night features the Armand Palatucci Pace for sophomore colts and geldings, to be drawn Monday afternoon.