The Empire’s best three-year-old colts and geldings - save for Hes Watching - invaded Yonkers Raceway Thursday night for the $221,000 New York Sire Stakes Armand Palatucci Pace.
The odds-on gelding Twin B Tenacious (Steve Smith, $3.90) won the first ($72,800) division from second-over. Unhurried from the pole, Twin B Tenacious chased Twin B Speedo (Mark MacDonald) through intervals of :27.2, :58 and 1:25.4. Twin B Speedo swung wide and whipped the leader by a half-length in 1:54. Third went to Keystone Honor (Matt Kakaley).
Smith is now 4-for-4 since picking up the drive behind Twin B Tenacious.
“To be honest, I had the drive the first time (Meadowlands) when a lot of the guys were out of town,” Smith said. “He had some chicken lines (breaks) previously, and has doesn’t always relax. I learned you have to let him settle, but when I’ve asked him, he’s finished very well.
Twin B Tenacious, a son of Bettors Delight trained by Casie Coleman for owner West Wins Stable, is 4-for-8 this season.
The second ($74,100) statebred event was supposed to be fairly simple work night for Art Rooney Pace winner All Bets Off (Kakaley). However, despite a perfect tow from entrymate Im All Heart (George Brennan), the 1-5 tandem found themselves run over.
Capital Account (Yannick Gingras, $35.80), third-over from post position four, snapped All Bets Off by a half-length in 1:52.4. Big Boys Dreams (Jason Bartlett) was third.
Fifth choice Capital Account, a Brittany Farms homebred American Ideal colt trained by Jimmy Takter, is now 4-for-11 this season.
“This was his best race so far,” Gingras said. “Sometimes, he’s been known to throw in steps, but tonight, this worked out. When I saw Matt (Kakaley) working (on All Bets Off), I knew I had him beat. The last time he was here (NYSS last month), he was locked in. If I had come first-up, he’d have won but I had to use him leaving. It was a much better trip tonight.”
Thursday night’s final ($74,100) sires soiree saw Forty Five Red (Brennan, $22.60) - last season’s winner of the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace here - make the lead right at the half and hold sway. Forty Five Red, from post four, took over from Sir Jakes Z Tam (Jordan Stratton) after that one’s :27.3 opening quarter-mile.
After a :56.3 intermission, it was a 1:24.1 three-quarters and a season’s-best 1:52.3 finale, which found Forty Five Red a length better than Winds of Change (Tim Tetrick). Neat (Marcus Miller) was third, while 1-2 choice Stay Up Late (Brian Sears) was a never-in-it dead-heat for fifth.
Forty Five Red, a son of If I Can Dream co-owned (as Burke Racing LLC) by (trainer) Ron Burke and Our Horse Cents Stable, has won his last couple after beginning the season 0-for-6.
“Last week (overnight here), he was all out to win and just didn’t race well,” Brennan said. “Tonight, I scored him down much harder he was a totally different horse…on the bit and alert.”
Forty Five Red’s winning time Thursday was more than two seconds faster than his previous effort.
After Saturday night’s $125,000 final of the Sheppard Pace (two-year-old colts/geldings), New York Sire Stakes continue Tuesday night, with the $200,200 Clyde Hirt Pace for two-year-old fillies colts and geldings. Four, $50,050 groupings go as races 2,4,5 and 6.
(Yonkers Raceway)