First-season fillies were on display Monday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $288,772 New York Sire Stakes Mike Cohen Trot.
Four divisions - at $72,193 each - comprised the event, which began with the biggest pari-mutuel surprise of the entire season.
Market Rally (John Cummings, Jr.), sent off at two bits more than 100-1, held off 3-10 choice Annies List (Andy Miller) by a neck in 2:01.2 - a life-best by more than four seconds. Starting outside her six foes, Market Rally did her damage from third over, while Annies List - recovering from an early break - went wider but could not reach. Exotic Form (Dan Daley) was third, beaten 4-1/2 lengths.
For Market Rally, a daughter of Cash Hall co-owned by (trainer) Megan Wilson and Johnny Yoder, the $202.50 win mutuel made her 2-for-6 this season.
Form held in the second division, as just-over-even-money Maud Blue Chip (Cat Manzi) eased first-up. Starting from post four, Maud Blue Chip engaged pace-setting Flyhawk Falina (Daley), then widened to a couple of lengths in a life-best 2:01.1. Caroline Street (Ray Schnittker) was able to get into second, with Flyhawk Falina tiring to third.
For Maud Blue Chip, a Credit Winner miss trained by Chuck Sylvester for co-owners Melvin Hartman, David McDuffee and Little E LLC, she returned $4.10 for her second win in four seasonal starts.
Manzi doubled his fun in the third event with maiden-breaking Gammys Girl ($12.60) going down the road from the pole (2:01.3). It was Gammys Girl fending off a stiff challenge from 3-5 choice Crediama (Trond Smedshammer), then winning by 2-1/4 lengths. How About Cash (Dan Dube) rallied for second, with 51-1 rank outsider Oh Sweet Penelope (Daley) third.
For third choice Gammys Girl, a daughter of Conway Hall co-owned by LST Stables and William DeVan, Jr. and trained by Bill Popfinger, she's hit the board in all six of her 2013 tries (1 win, 2 seconds, 3 thirds).
The final grouping produced the night's fastest effort, as 4-5 choice Beauty Of Gray (Jim Meittinis) made it look simple. Two-moving to the lead from post four, she never had an anxious moment. The final margin was 3-3/4 lengths in 2:00.1. In keeping with tonight's theme, it, too, was a life-best. Fashionableapple (Brian Sears) was second, ahead of pocket-sitting Barn Beauty (Cummings, Jr.).
For Beauty Of Gray, a Conway Hall lass Swedish co-owned by (trainer) Tommy Andersson and Courant AB, she returned $3.70 for her second (consecutive) win in three plebe tries.
Statebreds return Tuesday night with the $235,887 NYSS Frank Becerra Pace (two-year-old fillies) and Friday evening with the $282,975 NYSS Bruce Hamilton Pace (three-year-old fillies).
(Yonkers Raceway)