Yonkers Raceway Monday night hosted the $356,456 New York Sire Stakes Dick McGuire Trot for three-year-old colts and geldings.
The opening ($89,914) division wound up with an unintended makeover when 7-10 choice Tirade Hanover (Victor Kirby) jumped it off right before the start. A few others did the dance of the damned, leaving a match race between Blackwolf Run (Sam Schillaci) and Order By Keeper (Brian Sears).
Cozy-enough fractions (:29, :59.1, 1:28.4) weren't enough to close the sale, as pocket-sitting, pole protector Order By Keeper strolled on by. The final margin was a length-and-three-quarters in 1:58.2. Third went to 71-1 shot Tweed (Jim Morrill, Jr.)
For Order By Keeper, a Credit Winner colt trained by Nancy Johansson for co-owners Christina Takter, John Fielding, Joyce McClelland and Order By Stable, he returned $9 for his third win in seven seasonal starts.
The second ($88,314) grouping saw Kegler Hanover (Sears, $7.20) keep his head when everyone else around him was not.
Pocketed early from post position four, he inherited the lead when 11-10 fave West Side Story (George Brennan) imploded on the lead right before the opening (30-second) quarter-mile.
From there, Kegler Hanover, as the second choice, widened at each interval (:58.3; 1:27.3), taking a 16-length lead into the lane. The margin at the wire was 12½ lengths in a snappy 1:56.4. Explosive Action (Jason Bartlett) was second, with Wannacmyguns (John Stark, Jr.) third. Those were the only non-misbehavers among the seven starters.
Kegler Hanover, a son of Crazed also trained by Johansson - this one for co-owners Takter, Order By Stable, Brixton Medical AB and Louis Camara - is now 2-for-7 this season.
Monday's third ($88,314) statebred event saw the chalk players gain a measure of revenge when E L Rocket (Brennan, $2.90) gave nothing else a chance. Sent to the lead from post three, he threw down fractions of :27.1, :56.2, 1:25.4 and (night's fastest) 1:55.1.
Crazy About Pat (Cat Manzi) grabbed second over Modest Prince (Jeff Gregory).
E L Rocket, a son of Credit Winner co-owned (as Burke Racing Stable LLC) by (trainer) Ron Burke, M1 Stable, Howard Taylor and Phillip Collura, is now 4-for-8 this season after a third consecutive victory.
Pari-mutuel chaos reigned in the final ($89,914) sire stakes event after 1-20 people's preference Jurgen Hanover (Brennan) broke in the first turn and wound up distanced.
Jacks To Open (Sears) grabbed the gauntlet from the eight-hole, with pylon-starting Theraputic (Morrill, Jr.) in behind (:29, :59.1, 1:28.1). Jacks To Open opened and length-and-a-half lead entering the lane, but Theraputic dove inside and edged by.
The margin was a neck in a life-best 1:58, with 98-1 bomber Bar Back (Brent Holland) third and Twisted Pretzel (Jordan Stratton) fourth.
For Theraputic, a Crazed gelding trained by Annette Lorentzon for ACL Stuteri AB, he returned $21.60 for his third win in six seasonal starts.
With $14,027 of the $14,877 in the show pool flushed overboard with Jurgen Hanover, the show prices for the three board finishers were $30, $47.40 and $264, respectively ($30 total wagered on Bar Back in that pool)
Note that all winners, save for E L Rocket, are Yonkers Trot-eligible.
Sire stakes actions continues Tuesday night, with the $353,256 Art Watson Pace for three-year-old fillies, while Friday night offers the $291,475 Armand Palatucci Pace (three-year-old colts/geldings).
(Yonkers Raceway)