On Tuesday night (July 24), Yonkers Raceway hosted the $159,000 New York Sire Stakes Frank Becerra Pace for two-year-old fillies, the division’s second local go-round in 18 nights.
A pair of divisions — worth $78,800 and $80,200, respectively — comprised the event, which offered minimal suspense.
The opening group saw So Awesome (Tim Tetrick, $2.70) make the lead from post position 4 and never, ever have a thought of giving it up through fractions of :28.4, :58.3, 1:27.2 and 1:55.3. Her lead was 2-3/4 lengths off the final turn and widened to 3-3/4 lengths at the wire. American Marilyn (Jason Bartlett) chased from a loose pocket, with JK American Beauty (Brian Sears), Topville Angelina (Marcus Miller) and Crazy Cute (Jordan Stratton) coming away the remainder.
For So Awesome, a daughter of So Surreal owned by William Hartt and trained by Scott DiDomenico, it was her second win in four seasonal starts, both at Yonkers and both in 1:55.3. The exacta paid $6.80, the triple returned $31.80 and the superfecta paid $83.
“She’s fast and she just gets over this track so well,” Tetrick said.
Tuesday night’s second division had the death-and-taxes St Somewhere (Yannick Gingras, $2.10) withstand a spirited challenge from 27-1 shot Hurrikane Norakane (Dan Dubé) before opening up late.
All told, she went the distance from post 5 through splits of :28.2, :57.3, 1:26.1 and 1:53.4, the final time just three ticks off the local division record, taken by Tequila Monday in 2016 with a 1:53.1 effort. Hurrikane Norakane was a solid second, beaten three lengths, with Gias Surreal (Bartlett), Money Shot Hanover (Tyler Buter) and Ladybeluckytonite (Tetrick) completing the payees.
For St Somewhere, an American Ideal miss co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Phil Collura, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi, it was her third win in four 2018 tries. The exacta paid $14.80, the triple returned $34 and the superfecta paid $75.50.
St Somewhere, as with So Awesome, won both of her local Empire tries.
“I just let her take me around the track,” Gingras said. “There wasn’t much to it.”
New York Sire Stakes return to Yonkers Friday night (July 27) in the $173,500 Dick McGuire Trot for three-year-old colts and geldings.
(Yonkers Raceway)