New York's Night of Champions turned out to be a night of favourites as there were few surprises over the course of eight $175,000 New York Sire Stakes finals Saturday at Saratoga Raceway
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Kicking off the action, two-year-old trotting colt Royal Shyster (Rc Royalty-Spin The Planet) cleared the lead after the opening quarter and cruised to his seventh consecutive victory in 1:59.1 for trainer-driver Dan Daley. The nine-time winner, who has never finished worse than second in 11 starts, is owned by Albert Crawford, Annmari Daley, Richard Lombardo, and Robert Pergament.
For A Dancer (Conway Hall-Fluttering Wings) remained undefeated in eight career starts for trainer Joe Holloway and Bluestone Farms as driver Jeff Gregory sent her first over from fourth to prevail in the two-year-old filly trot final in 1:59.3 by a neck over Zanna Royal and Daley.
The Scott Di Domenico-trained Handsoffmycookie (Art Major-Observe Me) and driver Tim Tetrick wired the field of freshman pacing fillies in 1:54.4, equalling Queen Of The Stars' track record. The Sweetheart runner-up is now eight-for-nine in her career for owner Jfe Enterprise.
Tetrick posted back-to-back championship wins with two-year-old pacing colt Heston Blue Chip (American Ideal-Shot Togo Bluechip) advancing first up from fourth before the third quarter mark and charging to victory in 1:53.3 over fellow Linda Toscano stablemates Forever Just and Glass Prince. The time of the mile established a new divisional track record, besting Riggins' mark by two-fifths of a second. Owned by Kenneth Jacobs, the near perfect colt boasts nine wins and one second place finish on his 10-race record.
The Ray Schnittker-trained and driven Jezzy (Credit Winner-Ladylind) went the distance to win the three-year-old trotting filly final in 1:58.3, establishing a new divisional track record. The time of the mile shaved three-fifths of a second off the former record, set by Epangeline and Satin Pillows. The consistent filly is now 10-for-14 on the year and 19-for-24 lifetime for co-owners Schnittker, Jerry Silva, Jeffrey Gural, and Theodore Gewertz.
Im The Answer (Credit Winner-Southwind Flanders) romped to a 1:56.3 three length triumph in the sophomore colt trot final for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer and the Purple Haze Stables. The winning time lowered the three-year-old gelding track record by one full second. His seasonal record now reads 9-2-1 in 14 starts.
Canadian owned Tea Party Princess (Art Major-Hannah Banana) cleared the lead past the opening quarter and turned back a challenge from All About Kisses en route to a 1:53.3 victory in the three-year-old filly pace final. Jim Morrill Jr. did the driving for trainer David Menary and owner Brad Gray of Dundas, Ont. She has won eight of her 15 starts this year, including a division of the Simcoe Stakes.
Morrill Jr. also scored a stakes double with Bulletproof Enterprises' Mojo Terror (Western Terror-Winning Mojo), who rallied three-wide around the parked out Flipper J past three-quarters and edged out the quick-closing Jk Camelot to win the glamour boy final by a neck in 1:55.3. Lightly raced as a freshman, the Chris Oakes trainee has put together a record reading 12-4-2 wins in 19 starts this year.