New York Sire Stakes hit town Tuesday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $283,574 Milt Taylor Trot for two-year-old colts and geldings.
With the event attracting just a dozen, it meant a pair of divisions going for a cool $141,787 each.
That fun factoid suited driver Jim Morrill, Jr. just fine, since he won 'em both.
The first event saw 3-10 favourite Crazzycrazzy (Brian Sears) wanting nothing to do with the doings. He was off-stride behind the gate, caught the field, and then broke again. That left second choice JS Trotting Bob ($8.10) - leaving from post position two - to his own devices. Taking over from 57-1 shot General Bill Brown (Tyler Raymer) right at a :29.3 opening quarter-mile and then setting middle panels of 1:00.2 and 1:30.3 en route to the 1:59 win by 2-3/4 lengths.
Cash Me Out (Mickey McGivern) rallied into second, with a first-up Daley Lovin (Dan Daley), General Bill Brown and My Friend Charlie (Chris Lems) rounding out the payees.
Js Trotting Bob, a CR Excalibur gelding owned by Ken Jacob's KJ Stables and trained by Arnie Marks, is now 5-for-6 this season after a successful sire stakes debut.
Morrill and third choice, pole-sitting Flyhawk El Durado ($11.60), rallied from a loose pocket in the second event, which again saw a Sears escort jump it off.
Credit Fashion, the slight second choice, lost it in the first turn. He did catch back trotting as tepid 6-5 choice Lukas Hall (Jeff Gregory) made the lead around the eventual winner.
Lukas Hall (:29.3, 1:00.1) then surrendered the lead to a big third-quarter move from Credit Fashion, who found a 1:30.4 next station and had two lengths turning for home. However, he could not close the sale, with Flyhawk El Durado chasing him down the passing lane.
Flyhawk El Durado won by a half-length in 1:59.4. Credit Fashion saved second, with Lukas Hall, Consumer Rate (Cat Manzi) and Mister Anson (Jim Doherty) settling for the remainder.
Flyhawk El Durado, a son of Conway Hall trained by Mark Ford for owner Martin Scharf, has won half of his six seasonal starts.
Thursday night's features the $289,775 NYSS Jim Meagher Pace for frosh colts and geldings. Three ($96,025, $96,025 and $97,725) events, going as races 3,4 and 6 are on the agenda.
(Yonkers Raceway)