American Courage looks to get back on the right track on Friday night (August 13), as Yonkers Raceway hosts New York Sire Stakes action for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

The winner of this year's MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final at Yonkers, American Courage sought to make it two-for-two in the Triple Crown for pacers in the Cane on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands, but he backed up from the pocket to finish seventh. Trainer Travis Alexander believes he has pinpointed the reason for his dull effort, however.

"He thumped badly," said Alexander about the cause for American Courage's poor Cane Pace effort. "I think we found the cause, and it's probably what happened last year [in the New York Sire Stakes final]. Unfortunately, you can't plan for the thumps until it happens."

The “thumps” is a condition a horse suffers due to an abnormal spasming of the diaphragm.

Among the horses that American Courage will face in his $75,900 split (race two) will be King James Express (post six, Jason Bartlett/Mark Harder), the winner of last year's New York Sire Stakes final.

In the second $75,900 flight (race three), Town Gossip (post three, Joe Bongiorno/Jenn Bongiorno) enters with two straight sire stakes victories at Saratoga and Batavia and Natameri (post two, Tim Tetrick/Jessica Okusko) returns to the program after making the Adios final.

Yonkers Raceway's 12-race program on Friday starts at 7:15 p.m.

(Yonkers)