Stage Set For Sheppard Pace

Yonkers Raceway’s $110,500 final of the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings goes Saturday night, with an annual six-figure look at the stars of tomorrow.

The Sheppard is carded as the sixth race (approximate post time 9 p.m.) of the dozen-race dossier, with the usual first post of 7:10 p.m.

The open draw came out in favour of Springsteen (Jason Bartlett, post 1), a solid second in last week’s fastest (of three) $25,000 elimination races. Chris Ryder owns, trains (and last week drove) the son of Rock N Roll Heaven, an $18,000 Lexington purchase.

The open draw did not come out in favour of Ottawa, Ont. import Kwik Talkin (Jordan Stratton, post 7), who defeated Springsteen by a length a week ago in that zippy 1:54.4 elim. The Well Said colt, trained by Rob Harmon for Canadian co-owners Robbie Robinson, Jacqueline Dinelle and Scott & Lisa Henry, is 3-for-3 after that life-best work here last Saturday night.

Trump Nation (Eric Goodell, post 2) and Persist Blue Chip (George Brennan, post 8) won last week’s other elims in maiden-breaking miles of 1:57.1 and 1:58.3, respectively, both from off the pace.

The remainder of the finale field includes Damion Diesel Hahn (Ray Schnittker, post 3), Phat Blue Chip (Bartlett also listed, post 4), Real Rayenbow (Bartlett listed again, post 5) and Hora Star (Brennan also listed, post 6)
Program changes for the Sheppard, named for the founder of Hanover Shoe Farms, shall be made Tuesday night.

The evening before the Sheppard (that would be Friday, July 14th), the Raceway hosts the $170,499 New York Sire Stakes Art Watson Pace for three-year-old fillies.

(Yonkers)

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