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

Yonkers, NY — The Empire’s downstate invasion continues Monday night (August 25) at Yonkers Raceway with the $197,567 New York Sire Stakes Mike Cohen Trot.

Post time for the 13-race card is 7:40 p.m., with the quartet of freshman filly sire stakes events going as races four, five, six and eight (first two at $48,941 each, next two at $49,841 a pop).

The evening’s festivities honor the memory of the Raceway’s (and NBC Sports) former PR director, and many of these first-season femmes have certainly managed to distinguish themselves.

She’s So Savvy (Howard Okusko, Jr., post three) drew into the third division, bringing with her a trio of open-length statebred wins in succession. The daughter of Malabar Man-Twitty, trained by Jessica Okusko for Purple Haze Stables, rolls in fresh from a life-best 1:58.4 effort at Tioga. She’s earned nearly $47,000 this summer.

The evening’s final Cohen contest shapes up as a catfight between Contag Way (John Stark, Jr., post one) and Beachcomber (Jan Johnson, post two). Both are daughters of Conway Hall. Contag Way is out of BWT Maija, while Beachcomber is out of Enjoy The Sun.

The former, trained by Stark for longtime successful sire stakes owners Ed and David Smith, has three wins and a second in her five ’08 tries ($55,864). She aired from the eight hole at Tioga in a life-best-matching 2:00.2.

The latter, trained by Johnson for Arden Homestead Stable and Adelaide Skoglund, has won thrice in her four seasonal starts ($46,241). She was also a winner at Tioga in her most recent appearance.

Monday night’s first NYSS division is led by Sister Marcy (Credit Winner-Howard’s Sister, Brian Allen, post four), while the second event finds Porque (Plesac-Hornby Michelle, Stephane Bouchard, post one) as the early choice.

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 (including Labor Day). Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule.