Thursday night offered the first Westchester watching of the statebreds, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $218,620 New York Sires Stakes
Art Watson Pace for three-year-old fillies.
Five splits went postward through light rain and fog, with leading driver Jason Bartlett piling up five victories by the time the last race crossed the line.
Bartlett won the first $44,044 division, going the distance with the favoured Bet On Luck. The Bettors Delight lass, co-owned (with Kovach Stables) and trained by George Teague Jr., went the distance from post position two. She widened to defeat Chesca Girl by three lengths in 1:57.2.
Bartlett sat pocketed in the final $44,044 division before going by with pole-sitting On The Glass in 1:57.4.. The daughter of Art Major, trained by Ed Hart for co-owners Joe DiScala and Cynthia Lynn Masseri, picked up her first win in five seasonal starts. Race favourite Eagle Way, last season's NYSS frosh prom queen, cut the mile but was out muscled by a length late.
"They're both very talented fillies," Bartlett said. "They also drew well, and that always helps. I wasn't sure I was going to go by Jimmy's horse [Jim Morrill, Jr. driving Eagle Way], but mine showed me something."
Thursday's other NYSS events went to Stolly Up Bluechip (1:58.2), Witch Is Bettor (1:58.1) and Up Front Kellie Jo (1:56.2).
(Yonkers Raceway)