They won the draws as well as and the hearts and minds of the electorate Thursday night.

Short-priced pole-sitters Dayson (Yannick Gingras, $2.60) and Dante (Ake Svanstedt, $2.80) delivered in Yonkers Raceway's New York Sire Stakes Michael Sorentino Trot for three-year-old colts and geldings.

Dayson, racing in a money start for the first time since adding trotting hopples, allowed Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley) the initial lead in the opening ($80,937) division.

Dayson then retook right before a :29.4 opening quarter-mile, with none of his five rivals electing to press the issue. After a :59.2 intermission and 1:27.3 intermission, Smalltownthrowdown pulled an early pocket in the final turn. Dayson met that challenge and widened, open to 2-1/2 lengths in 1:56.1. Royson (Jim Marohn, Jr.) skimmed the cones to grab second, with Smalltownthrowdown third.

For Dayson, a Conway Hall gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Our Horse Cents and J&T Silva Stables and Rossi Smith, it was his fifth win in eight seasonal starts.

“It was nice and easy,” Gingras said. “The straps definitely helped him keep his mind on business.”

As for Dante in the $82,437 second division, he was content to sit pocketed to uncoupled stablemate The Royal Harry (Mark MacDonald) though intervals of :28, :58.2 and 1:28.1. That one had a length-and-quarter lead entering the lane, but Dante edged out and edged by. He beat his barn neighbour by a length in 1:57.2, with Credevie (George Brennan) third.

For Dante, a son of Credit Winner trained by his driver for owner Courant AB, he’s 4-for-6 this season.

“He doesn’t pull as much as he did (at two),” Svanstedt said. “He’s a better horse to drive now.”

Stakes action continues here this weekend. Friday night, the $167,874 New York Sire Stakes Art Watson Pace (three-year-old fillies). Saturday night, it’s the $100,000 Lawrence B. Sheppard (two-year-old colts/geldings).

(Yonkers)