With the $1.6 million New York Night of Champions looming later this month, downstate sire stakes resumed Thursday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $237,636 Lew Barasch Trot for two-year-old colts and geldings

Johnny B Kemp and driver Marcus Johansson - showing no ill-effects of that early summer accident - took full advantage of soft fractions and soft foes. The pair went the distance in the $59,134 third division.

In play early from post position four, the 3-4 choice waltzed through weigh stations of :30.3, 1:02.4, 1:32.2 en route to the 2:02.1 score. He widened in the lane, defeating Sing Out (Cat Manzi) by 4-1/2 lengths, with Quantum Incredible (Frode Fladen) third.

For Johnny B Kemp, a son of Credit Winner trained by Jimmy Takter for his wife, Christina, along with David McDuffee and John Fielding, he returned $3.50 for his second win in five frosh tries.

"He's shown us he wants to do his job, and that's always a good sign," Johansson said. "Once we made the lead, there wasn't a whole lot to it. I'm glad to be back in the winner's circle, and (father-on-law) Jimmy is glad to have me back working, I think he thinks I've been on vacation or something,"

The evening's final ($60.234) state-bred event saw six of the eight combatants misbehave, making the job of 11- favourite Dejarmbro (Jeff Gregory) that much easier.

Leaving from post seven and never out of range, Dejarmbro found the lead before the three-quarters, then defeated Keenan (George Brennan) - the other non-breaker - by 8-1/4 lengths in 1:59.3. Daleydaydream (Dan Daley) was third, beaten 15 lengths.

For Dejarmbro, a Credit Winner colt trained by Jessica Okusko for Purple Haze Stables, he returned $4.30 for his fifth win (fourth consecutive) in seven '10 tries (5-for-5 with Gregory).

"He's a strong horse, but he's very light on his feet," Gregory said. "He's a lot like (stablemate) Blacktuxwhitesocks. Both are big, sturdy horses that were given time getting to the races. And both make me look good."

Thursday night's other N.Y.S.S. events, each worth $59,134, were won by Surface Tension (2:00.4) and Petruchio (2:01.2).

Thursday's sire stakes event honoured the memory of one of the sport's great publicists from one of the sport's great eras.

(Yonkers Raceway)