Yonkers Raceway hosted the $221,000 New York Sire Stakes Dick McGuire Trot for three-year-old colts and geldings Tuesday evening, with a total of 13 entered in a pair of six-figure divisions.
The event honoured the memory of the Basketball Hall of Famer, former New York Knickerbocker standout—and avid horseplayer—with family and friends making winner’s circle presentations.
As luck and form would have it, the two winners here were the same two that won this division’s last downstate go-round not quite three weeks ago.
The first ($109,500) grouping saw last season’s frosh statebred champion, Flyhawk El Durado (Mark MacDonald, $2.50), deliver on a puny pari-mutuel promise (:28.3, 58.2, 1:28, 1:56.1). In play from post position two, he played leapfrog with Cash Me Out (Mickey McGivern), and then completed his appointed. Flyhawk El Durado whipped Cash Me Out by a length-and-a-quarter, with Daley Lovin (Dan Daley) third.
For the in-form Flyhawk El Durado, a son of Conway Hall trained by Mark Ford for owner Martin Scharf, it was his fifth win (third consecutive) in 11 seasonal starts.
“Right now, he’s as good as anyone in the division,” MacDonald said. “When he stays calm, which he didn’t always do, he can trot all day and dig in at the end.”
The second ($111,500) sire stakes event saw odds-on choice Gural Hanover (Morrill Jr., $2.60) make one move to the lead, and then turn out the lights.
Settling fifth early from post seven, the people’s choice saw Royal Max (John MacDonald) put thrown down a :28.4 opening gauntlet. From there, Gural Hanover made the lead (:58.1, 1:27, 1:56.2) and slammed the door.
He whipped Royal Max by four lengths, with Mister Anson (Jeff Gregory) third. The only other entrant under double-digit odds, second choice Zoey De Vie (Jason Bartlett), broke early.
For Gural Hanover, a Crazed gelding co-owner (as Burke Racing Stable LLC) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Little E LLC and Panhellenic Stables, it was his seventh win (sixth consecutive) in nine ’14 tries.
New York Sire Stakes continue Thursday night, with the $194,800 Frank Becerra Pace for two-year-old fillies.
(Yonkers Raceway)