The New York Sire Stakes caravan returns downstate Thursday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $285,120 Jim Meagher Pace for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

The event, honouring the memory of the Raceway's long-time corporate controller, was drawn and quartered as races 1, 3, 4 and 5.

Leading the opening ($71,605) sire stakes event is Deny Deny Deny (Tim Tetrick, post 5). The son of Art Major, trained by Linda Toscano for owner Ken Jacobs, has a statebred win (Buffalo) and a pair of seconds in his four tries ($59,444). Tijuana Party (Montrell Teague, post 1) and Framed Art (Mark MacDonald, post 7) also own NYSS wins.

The second ($71,605) division finds Jacobs, Toscano and Tetrick teaming up again, this time with Doctor Butch (post 4). The Art Major colt is the state's elite frosh, with three wins (life-best 1:54 at Saratoga) and a pair of seconds in five tries ($100,129). "Butch" returns here for the first time winning his elim for the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace, then finishing second (from the eight-hole) in the $119,000 final.

Competition can be found with Thirty Two Red (Ray Schnittker, post 2), a son of Bettors Delight who was second to Doctor Butch a week ago at Batavia. Like "Butch," Americasgottalent (Jason Bartlett, post 1) and Dealmaker (Larry Stalbaum, post 3) made it to the final of the Sheppard. Both are sons of American Ideal (Dealmaker is a gelding).

Thursday night's third ($70,305) event includes Bet the Moon (Bartlett, post 6), thrice second in four, first-season tries ($41,307), and Story Book (Stalbaum, post 3), a statebred winner (Saratoga) and four board finishes in five efforts ($45,749).

The evening's final ($71,605) sire stakes soiree offers Toscano and Tetrick and Swift As A Shadow (post 2). The son of Bettors Delight fought off a stubborn Bet the Moon last week at Batavia (life-best 1:56) for his second (statebred) win in four tries ($43,665).

The Raceway continues its normal five-night-per-week live schedule, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule.

(Yonkers)