Yonkers Raceway's New York Sire Stakes Thursday night tenants were the two-year-old colts and geldings, who went forth in the $237,630 Jim Meagher Pace
.
Named to honour the memory of Yonkers' long-time corporate controller, the event went in five divisions.
Great Vintage threw down the evening's fastest gauntlet, winning the $47,706 third (non-betting) event in a snappy 1:54.4. The son of American Ideal had obviously convinced John Campbell enough across the river to coax him over the bridge…and at rush hour, no less.
Leaving from post position three - and making his small-track debut - Great Vintage rolled through intervals of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:27, before putting up a cool :27.4 final quadrant. He defeated Mats Delight (Ray Schnittker) by 2-1/2 lengths, with Flipper J fading to third.
For Great Vintage, trained by Jimmy Takter for his wife, Christina, along with Goren Anderberg, John Fielding and Falkbolagen AB, it was his third consecutive win in four frosh tries.
"He raced really well," Campbell said. "He was green getting around the first turn, but when the other horse (Flipper J, with four victories in a row) came at him, he showed me something.".
Sir Ziggys Z Tam (trainer/driver Pat Lachance) made it a trio of N.Y.S.S. wins in succession, brushing boldly down the backside in the $47,706 fourth division. He was on the move right about the time 9-10 favourite Bettors Green (Bartlett) jumped it off on the lead. Sir Ziggys Z Tam went on to whip Twin B Idol (George Brennan) by three lengths in 1:55.3. Tampa Bay Escape (Cat Manzi) lost the place photo.
For Sir Ziggys Z Tam, a son of Art Major co-owned by Lachance, Ira Rosenblum and Z Tam Racing, he returned $4 for that third win in four tries.
"He's very versatile, but I didn't want to worry about mixing it up early here," Lachance said. "Once I asked him, he did the rest."
Thursday night's other NYSS events went to Roadside Delight (1:56.1), Overnight Delight (1:57) and Samandar (1:56).
(Yonkers Raceway)