Rose Run Cowboy and My Body Guard braved the elements under heavy rain and over a sloppy track and defeated their competitors in a pair of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) divisions for two-year-old male pacers on Thursday, Aug. 20 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
In the $103,472 first NYSS grouping, Primacy Station (Matt Kakaley), racing as part of a favoured Travis Alexander-trained entry, cleared Rose Run Cowboy (Yannick Gingras) for the lead coming to the :27.4 quarter. Primacy Station then backed down the half to :59 and the three-quarters in 1:27.4 as Man On A Hunt (Todd McCarthy) attacked first-over from third as they raced down the backstretch for the final time.
Man On A Hunt grabbed an advantage on the outside early on the final bend but was unable to fully clear, which allowed Primacy Station to counter and quicken on the inside. Man On A Hunt began to fade as they turned for home, but Rose Run Cowboy had been waiting patiently for room and found it in the lane. Once Rose Run Cowboy swung to the outside in the stretch, he went by Primacy Station and on to the victory by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:55.4. Primacy Station wound up second and entrymate Bastonata Bluechip (Tyler Buter) came in third.
Ron Burke trains Rose Run Cowboy, a Huntsville-Blameitonthenight colt bred by Larry Schlabach, for owners Thomas and Scott Dillon. Rose Run Cowboy has two wins, a second and a third in five starts and has earned $152,261. He paid $6.32 to win.
Burke finished the 12-race card with a triple. He also won the $59,722 Fillies and Mares Invitational Trot with Miracle Maven, who put up all the panels en route to a 1:55.1 victory by a head. Gingras drove the four-year-old daughter of Dont Letem-Bad Babysitter for Hillside Stables, Indiana Stables LLC, Frank Baldachino and Beasty LLC. She paid $7.16 to win. The trainer's other winner was Frank Leahy ($12.72). He has 650 wins this year in 3,403 starts.
In the $101,528 second split, Maries Jet (Jason Bartlett) cut fractions of :28.4, :59.3 and 1:28.4, but My Body Guard (Kakaley) tipped out of the two-hole on the far turn and rallied past Maries Jet in the stretch to tally by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:57. Maries Jet wound up second, followed by Beatle Blue Chip (McCarthy).
The victorious American Ideal-Tatiana Seelster gelding is trained by Travis Alexander for owners M Spacc Stables, C M T Farms and Alexander Racing Stable LLC. My Body Guard has a summary of 4-2-2 from nine appearances and has pocketed $126,837. He returned $7.88 to win.
Three $27,778 New York Excelsior Series contests were also held on the program. Blast Blue Chip ($3.58), a son of Shadow Play-Shaka Blue Chip, took the first in 1:57.2 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Hunter Oakes and owner Exceed Stables LLC.
Huntsville-Take Aim colt Its News To Me ($6.22) was a 1:55.4 winner in the second for driver Leon Bailey, trainer Chuck Connor Jr. and owner Ya Gotta Love It Stable.
Lyin Inthe Shadows ($44.62) paced a 1:57.3 mile as the Shadow Play-J P Silver gelding won for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Andy Gardner and owner Bobbi Carney.
In addition to the stakes action, the program's Pick 5 was not hit, leading to a $4,177.54 carryover and a $20,000 guaranteed pool in Friday night's sequence.
The guarantee in the Pick 5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program, and free past performances for the Pick 5, courtesy of TrackMaster, will be available at handicapping.ustrotting.com. The Pick 5, which begins in race five and has a $1 minimum, has a takeout rate of 20 per cent.
(Yonkers Raceway)