New York Sire Stakes will invade Yonkers Raceway this week, with events for three-year-old pacers of both genders.
Thursday night will feature the Art Watson Stakes for sophomore fillies, which will be contested in divisions and will represent the first three races on the 12-dash card.
Defending statebred champ Handsoffmycookie will return to Yonkers for the first time since handily winning the Lismore Pace earlier this month. The daughter of Art Major has drawn Post 2 for the final division.
Thursday's opening sire stakes event will include Brownsville Bomber (PP5, J. Morrill Jr.). The second grouping will feature a match-up between sire stakes winners New York Kitty (PP2, G. Brennan), JK Fine Art (PP4, J. Morrill Jr.) and Romantic Moment (PP5, Y. Gingras).
Yonkers' 12-race Friday evening program will feature the Armand Palatucci Stakes for sophomore colts and geldings. Its divisions, which each carry purses of $113,413, have been carded as Race 9 through Race 11.
The last of the Palatucci divisions will feature defending NYSS champ Heston Blue Chip (PP3, Ti. Tetrick). The son of American Ideal, trained by Linda Toscano for owner Ken Jacobs, is a perfect three-for-three this season after having recorded 11 wins (and two seconds) from his 13 juvenile starts.
The opening sire stakes event will feature Breakin The Law (PP6, J. Bartlett), who was a NYSS winner at Yonkers last month. The second division will showcase Forever Just (PP5, Ti. Tetrick), who was also a NYSS winner at Yonkers in May.
(With files from Yonkers)