Yonkers Raceway featured the $353,256 New York Sire Stakes Art Watson Pace for three-year-old fillies Tuesday evening, with each division carrying a purse of $88,314.
The first division was wagered as a two-horse race, and indeed, it was. Cheyenne Miriam (Simon Allard), from post position five, held a chasing Park N Orchard (Brian Sears) at bay through fractions of :28.3, :57.4, 1:26.3 and 1:54.4. The margin was three-quarters of a length. Sir Lehigh Z Tam (Pat Lachance) was a best-of-the-rest third.
For Cheyenne Miriam a daughter of Bettors Delight leased by The Cheyenne Gang and trained by Robbie Siegelman, she returned $5 for her ninth win in 15 seasonal starts.
The second division saw pole-sitting Winbak Heavenly (Jim Morrill, Jr.) take no prisoners, zipping around the oval (:26.3, :54.4 and 1:24.2) while the two choices, Bettor Think Twice (Cat Manzi) and Freetime (Andy Miller), tired while tracking.
However, My Shiyen (Sears, $24.40), from post six, was able to improve position down the backside, took off after the leader and eventually wore her down. My Shiyen won by a length-and-a-half in a maiden-breaking 1:53.4. Brussels Hanover (Jordan Stratton), as the 60-1 rank outsider, rallied for third.
For fourth choice My Shiyen, an American Ideal lass co-owed by (trainer) Marthe Drolet, Stephen Schneider and William Siegel, it was that first win in a dozen seasonal starts. She was unraced at two.
Monday's third sire stakes grouping figured as contentious as any, and it played out as such. Summertime Lea (Morrill, Jr.), last season's freshman champion and this evening's 11-10 favourite, sat a nervous pocket to Canadian import Belle Boyd (Jody Jamieson).
After early intervals of :28.1 and :56, Social Scene (George Brennan, $17.20) - away sixth from post five - launched a wide move. She engaged Summertime Lea in and out of a 1:24.2 three-quarters, then blew by early in the lane. Social Scene then widened as she pleased, winning by 5-1/2 lengths in 1:52 - a new track record for three-year-old pacing fillies. It was one-fifth faster than Bettor B Lucky from last November.
Summertime Lea held second over Springforth (Larry Stalbaum), while Belle Boyd - in her career stateside and sire stakes debut - lost contact with her foes and finished seventh, beaten double digits.
For fourth choice Social Scene, a daughter of American Ideal trained by Casie Coleman for Ontario co-owners West Wins Stable, Steve Calhoun and Mac Nichol, she is now 4-for-6 this season.
The evening's final sire stakes soiree was a down-the-road effort from odds-on Ballineen (Sears, $3.30). Though fractions of :29, 58, 1:26. and 1:55, she disposed of pocket-sitting Alhambra (Brennan) by 2-1/4 lengths, with JK Black Beauty (Jeff Gregory) third.
Ballineen, an Art Major miss owned by Ernest Hartman and trained by Steve Elliott, is off the seasonal schneid (now 1-for-5 in '13).
New York Sire Stakes continue downstate Friday night, with Yonkers hosting the $291.475 Armand Palatucci Pace for three-year-old colts and geldings.
(Yonkers Raceway)