Courtly Choice made his Yonkers Raceway debut Tuesday night, toying with his foes in the $173,500 New York Sire Stakes Armand Palatucci Pace for three-year-old colts and geldings.
The 1-20 favourite, in rein to Dave Miller, was a two-move, 6-½ length winner in the first ($86,750) division). Away third from post position No. 6, he dusted early (:27, :56.1; 1:23.3) leader Rockapelo (Jason Bartlett) right after the three-quarters, opened a coupled of lengths into the lane, then widened as he pleased.
Cheese Melt (George Brennan) won the scrum for second at 78-1, with Rockapelo holding third and Ostro Hanover (Brian Sears) fourth.
For Meadowlands Pace champ Courtly Choice, the son of Art Major has won nine of his dozen seasonal starts ($655,393) for co-owners (as part of Mac and Heim Stables)/trainer Blake Macintosh, Daniel Plouffe, Hutt Racing and Touch Stone Farms.
“He’s a lot of fun,” Miller said.
After this rare sire stakes appearance, Macintosh said Courtly Choice is Ohio-bound for both the Jug Preview and Little Brown Jug.
Tuesday night’s second (also $86,750) and final grouping saw Ghost Dance (Scott Zeron, $12) prevail from first-over.
Away fourth from post No. 3, Ghost Dance hooked last season’s statebred champ, Jersey Jim (Jordan Stratton), after that one’s intervals of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:25.2. ‘Jim,’ the even-money favourite here, owned a length lead off the final turn, but tired. Ghost Dancer whipped the rival on his back, Twin B Tuffenuff (Brennan), by a half-length in 1:54.1.
Jersey Jim salvaged the bottom of the ticket, with Keystone Tenacious (Jim Marohn, Jr.) fourth.
For third choice Ghost Dance, a Millar Farms’ homebred American Ideal colt trained by Rick Zeron, he’s now 3-for-11 this season.
“I couldn’t hold him the last time he was here (late July),” Zeron said. “Tonight, he was much more manageable and when I asked him in the last turn, he went.”
New York Sire Stakes return here Thursday, Sept. 6, with the Mike Cohen Pace for three-year-old fillies.
(Yonkers)