Yonkers Raceway Tuesday night (Sept. 3) offered the New York Sire Stakes' Lew Barasch Trot for two-year-old colts and geldings.

Tuesday’s event once again honoured the memory of ‘Tootie’, whose unmatched PR savvy in the golden age of the game helped make the nascent Roosevelt International Trot a happening.

There were two divisions, including one off the card.

Berkery J, from the post-position 5, sat pocketed to Barn Holden in the $74,500 non-bettor. Barn Holden led through intervals of :29, :59.2 and 1:28.3, taking a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane.

He couldn’t stall his stalker as Berkery J went right by, widening to a length-and-a-half win in a life-best 1:57.3. Sky Castles was a best-of-the-rest third, beating a pair of breakers.

For Berkery J, a son of Chapter Seven owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by George Ducharme, it was his third win in eight seasonal starts.

“He was a lot of fun,” winning driver Dave Miller said. “He did it on his own.”

The $75,900 wagering division wound up quite formful as odds-on Chaptiama made the pole work for him, posting splits of :29.2, :59.4 and 1:29.1 in progress to a 1:57 mile.

Bourbon Express chased the winner around the oval, beaten one-and-a-quarter lengths. Hobbs and Altus Hanover rounded out the gimmick finishers.

For Chaptiama, a homebred Chapter Seven gelding trained by his driver for owner Purple Haze Stables, it was his second (consecutive) win in seven tries this year. Trond Smedshammer drove the $3.20 winner. The exacta paid $6, the triple (three wagering favorites in order) paid $11 and the superfecta paid $49.

“We train him with shoes, then take them of when he races, except for Monticello,” Smedshammer said. “He’s the shoeless wonder.”

New York Sire Stakes wrap for the downstate season Thursday night (Sept. 5) with the $161,500 Mike Cipriani Trot for three-year-old fillies.

(Yonkers Raceway)