Favoured Tequila Monday sat well off insane fractions by Write Me A Song Friday evening, then blew by everyone to match Yonkers Raceway’s all-age track record of 1:50. She also became the Raceway’s fastest-ever femme fatale.
The lass, from post position No. 7, won the $46,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace, her eighth victory in 10 seasonal starts and a place alongside The Real One (Pat Lachance), who first hit that number in November of 2016.
Feelin Red Hot (George Brennan) was second, beaten a length-and-a-quarter, with Bettor Joy N (Dan Dube), Alexas Power (Jim Marohn, Jr.) and Delightfulmemphisn (Tyler Buter) rounding out the payees.
For Tequila Monday, a five-year-old statebred daughter of American Ideal co-owned by Northfork Racing and Chuck Pompey and trained by Chris Oakes, the season’s-best effort was her 25th win in 54 career starts. She’s won her last five local tries.
“If I pulled the plugs, she would’ve broken 1:50,” said driver Matt Kakaley. “She had another second in her.”
The Friday evening card also featured a pair of $83,750 divisions of the New York Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies.
The opening division saw Prescient Beauty (George Brennan) lay down the gauntlet, then just lay down. The 8-5 polester favourite retook in the second turn from Hurrikane Norakane (Dan Dube) in between a :26.4 opening quarter-mile and a :54.4 intermission.
Prescient Beauty was done in and out of a 1:23.1 three-quarters as the cavalry rolled over her. From post position No. 5, Brooklyn Lilacs (Joe Bongiorno, $50) stacked widest and closed fastest, tagging So Awesome (Tyler Buter) nearing the wire in a life-best 1:52.2.
Third went to JK American Beauty (Jordan Stratton), with Crazy Cute (Jim Morrill Jr.) fourth. Meanwhile, Prescient Beauty wound up last among the seven lasses, beaten more than 16 lengths.
For sixth choice Brooklyn Lilacs, a homebred daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven owned by Crawford Farms Racing and trained by Jennifer Bongiorno, it was her second win in seven seasonal starts.
”I was going to race her from behind, coming off the break in her last start (Buffalo),” driver Bongiorno said. “I was glad to see Danny (Dube) leave and mix it up. They were going very fast, especially for three-year-old fillies, and when I moved mine wide, she just exploded.”
The evening’s second statebred event saw odds-on Excelsior refugee Chase You (Brennan, $3.20) step up to the adult table, win the draw and hold off Meghan Lynn (Bongiorno) in a glorified match race. The margin was a neck in 1:53.2, by far a life-best effort.
Money Shot Hanover (Buter) and Heavens Challenge (Morrill, Jr.) wound up third and fourth, respectively.
For Chase You, a homebred American Ideal miss owned by Ted Cupp and trained by Michelle Crawford, it was her seventh win in 11 ’19 tries.
“She’s just a pro, she really is,” Brennan said. “I was able to rate the fractions (:28.4, :57.2, 1:25) and she dug in.”
(With files from Yonkers)