Brennan Dominates Harvest Series
Yonkers Raceway hosted the $400,000 Fall Harvest Series on Saturday night with eight $50,000 events for New York-bred two and three-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes.
The races were open to those who were not eligible to compete on last week's Night of Champions.
Driver George Brennan won half the eight events beginning with All Bets Off (by Bettors Delight) in the two-year-old pacing colt division. The Ron Burke trainee romped to a 1:54.1 triumph for owners Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, Panhellenic Stable and Rosemary Shelswell.
Brennan went back-to-back, also winning with two-year-old pacing filly Wondering Heart (by Art Major), who broke her maiden in 1:55.3 for trainer Brett Bittle and lessees E. Daniel Bittle, Lon Frocione, and Charles III and IV Keller.
Three-year-old trotting colt Rolls Blue Chip (by Credit Winner) later carried Brennan back to the winner's circle after taking his division in 1:56.2 for Puslinch, Ont. trainer Tom Durand, who shares ownership with his wife June and Alan Smith of Oakville, Ont.
Brennan completed his series quartet in the following division for three-year-old pacing colts as Allan Johnson trainee Ronnny Bugatti (by Art Major) matched his lifetime mark of 1:53.4. The gelding is owned by Eric Prevost, Tom Haughton and Bridget McNeese.
Jason Bartlett was also a repeat winner in the series and took the evening's first two divisions with a pair of Conway Hall freshmen. John Grasso Stable's trotting colt Expressive Action earned his first win in 1:59.2 while Annies List won the trotting filly tilt in 1:59.1 for trainer Julie Miller and the Andy Miller Stables.
The three-year-old filly divisions were won by trotter Bostonz Credit (by Credit Winner) in 1:59.2 with Mark MacDonald driving for Oakville, Ont. trainer Rick Zeron and partner David Anderson of Aurora, Ont., and pacer Brussels Hanover (by Bettors Delight), who stopped the clock in 1:55.4 in rein to Brent Holland for trainer Joe Hundertpfund Jr. and the Gty Stables.
In this week's $37,000 Open Handicap Pace, Mark Harder trainee Statesman N and driver Jason Bartlett edged out Code Word by a neck in 1:51.1. The six-year-old Down Under Christian Cullen gelding is owned by Our Horse Cents Stables, Peter Venturini, and J And T Silva Stables.