Coming off a show finish in the Fan Hanover Final, The Last Martini returned to New York Sire Stakes competition and made it two-for-two in the series as she captured the first $78,378 third-leg division for sophomore pacing fillies on Saturday, June 21 at Vernon Downs.
Send It Down Slim (Ray Schnittker) took the early lead in the field of five, but The Last Martini ($2.10) seized control for Doug McNair just after hitting the quarter in :26.1. She slowed things down to the half in :56 and cruised to three-quarters in 1:24.4. As they reached the stretch, leg two winner Send It Down Slim gave it all she had from the pocket, but The Last Martini was too strong and equaled her lifetime mark of 1:51 as she won by three-quarters of a length. Send It Down Slim was second, a length ahead of Fansville (Tyler Buter) in third.
The Last Martini, a defending NYSS champion, is two-for-four this season for trainer Jared Bako and owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Ingersoll, Ont. The Huntsville-Martinique filly has won six of 14 lifetime appearances and banked $828,214.
Shes A Streaker ($2.20) wired the second and final NYSS group to double up in the series and lower her lifetime mark. She darted right out to the front for Buter and led unopposed through :26.4, :55.3, and 1:23 panels and allowed no headway to eventual second place finisher Strutsville (Ridge Warren) down the stretch as she blazed to a 1-1/2-length victory in 1:50. Hurrikane Marigold (Ray Schnittker) finished third.
The Ron Burke-trained Shes A Streaker, a daughter of Huntsville-Mikayla Rose, notched her third win this season in seven races. She is four-for-20 lifetime with $296,234 in earnings for owners Frank Baldachino of Harvey Cedars, N.J., Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa., J&T Silva- Purnel&Libby of Ocean Ridge, Fla. and Knox Services Inc. of Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
There were also four $27,027 divisions of the Excelsior Series for three-year-old filly pacers on the card.
Dressed To Kill (In the Arsenal-Gotmyredressontnit) was the fastest winner, earning her second tally in the series in 1:52, a new career mark, with Braxten Boyd at the lines. Janice Connor trains and co-owns the filly with Scott McGee and John Stronka. Chanceoflightning (Buter) finished second with Beantown Deuce (Matt Kakaley) completing the trifecta.
Huntingfortreasure stayed perfect in the Excelsior this year as she prevailed in the first split narrowly over Family Jewel (Chris Long) in 1:52.4, a career best. Neils Diamond (Buter) was third. Schnittker trains the winner, a Huntsville-Worldly Treasure Filly, and drove her to victory for owner Steve Jones.
Schnittker then grabbed another Excelsior Series win as he piloted his trainee, Bronx Mixer, to victory in the third division. The filly, clocked in 1:53.4, was home in front of Tennis Queen (Boyd) and Martini Star (Buter), who finished second and third, respectively. Schnittker co-owns Bronx Mixer with breeder Theodore Gewertz.
Calamity Hour captured the last split in her seasonal debut for trainer Deborah Daguet with Buter in the bike. The Huntsville-Also Encouraging filly scored in 1:54 over Cervi (Schnittker) and Kj Becky (Boyd) for owners Peter Scamurra, Donald MacRae, and Daguet Racing LLC.
John MacDonald earned a driving grand slam on the 15-race card.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday, June 27 with a post time of 5:05 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)