The following is the third of the eight-part series 'The Leaders of the Pack,' a closer look at the eight New York Sire Stakes divisional leaders and their biggest threats in the $1.8-million Night of Champions, which will take place at Yonkers Raceway on September 22.

Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace

The Leader: Doctor Butch, a son of Art Major, out of the Jennas Beach Boy mare Classical Yankee. He is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Flynn.

Despite finishing second by a neck at 1-10 to Bet The Moon in the final of four $72,000 divisions of the NYSS in 1:55.2 at Yonkers Raceway Thursday night, Ken Jacobs’ Doctor Butch remains atop the standings by 50 points with only one race left: September 15 at Vernon Downs.

“He was a little sick last night,” Doctor Butch’s trainer, Linda Toscano, said Friday morning. “We had him scoped. No big deal.”

Jacobs said, “It was a little infection in his throat. He got some antibiotics.”

Both Toscano and Jacobs said Doctor Butch will be ready to go in the $225,000 NYSS Final on the Night of Champions at Yonkers Raceway, September 22.

There was a reason Doctor Butch was 1-10. Following a brave second from Post 8 in the $119,000 Sheppard final at Yonkers, he’d won five straight races, including NYSS divisions at Saratoga, Batavia, Yonkers and Tioga Downs, where he took a mark of 1:52.

Edwin Gold’s Bet The Moon, trained by Ron Burke and driven by Jason Bartlett on Thursday, is no slouch, having finished second in five consecutive NYSS stops, two of them to Doctor Butch. He turned it around Thursday night with a flawless drive by Bartlett, who made the lead early, ceded it to Doctor Butch, and edged him late as the 4-1 second choice in the field of eight.

The 50 points moved Bet The Moon up to fifth in the NYSS standings, behind Doctor Butch (250), Deny Deny Deny (200), Swift As A Shadow (190) and Thirty Two Red (188). Behind Bet The Moon are Framed Art (162) and Americasgottalent (137). Story Book and Sir Cary’s Z Tam are tied for eighth, the final spot to make the Final, with 115. Tijuana Party (92), Track Master D (80) and Scalped (75) are next.

Making just his fifth lifetime start for Louis Willinger, Tangie Massey, Minisink Farms and Eagles Soar Partners, Track Master D, a son of Bettor’s Delight trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Jason Bartlett, won the first division Thursday night at Yonkers in 1:55.2 by half a length over Scalped. Swift As A Shadow finished third.

Gus and Alan Johnston’s Visa Viper, trained by Brian Magie Jr. and driven by George Brennan, captured the second division at 12-1 in 1:54.2 for just his second victory in eight starts this year. Deny Deny Deny, owned by Jacobs and trained by Toscano, finished second at 1-5.

Fashion Farms’ Hail The Taxi, who beat Doctor Butch at 35-1 in the Sheppard final and finished a distant second in the Woodrow Wilson, won the third division impressively by four lengths over Sir Cary’s Z Tam in 1:55. Hail The Taxi is trained by Jim Campbell and driven by John Campbell.

(The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund)

Related Stories

• Leaders Of The Pack - Part 2
• Leaders Of The Pack - Part 1