Yonkers Raceway Tuesday night hosted the New York Sire Stakes' Frank Becerra Pace for two-year-old fillies.
A pair of $80,200 divisions comprised the soggy event.
The opening group was another, odds-on wire job by Hurrikane Shorty (Jason Bartlett, $2.90). Just as she did when these ladies hit town a dozen nights ago, there were no issues. This time, from post position No. 3, she led through intervals of :28, :58.2, 1:27.4 and 1:57.4.
Betterthangraduate (Matt Kakaley) was a good, two-move second—beaten a length-and-a-quarter—with Ubettergo Go (Mark MacDonald) rallying for third.
For Hurrikane Shorty, a daughter of Art Major trained by Kevin McDermott for co-owners Little E LLC, Jason Settlemoir, Arthur Geiger and David Stolz, it was her fourth win in six seasonal starts.
“We actually bought this filly off my brother (trainer John McDermott),” Kevin McDermott said. “He did turn down a better offer to sell to me, so I owe him one. She’s just beautiful, no head poles, no Murphy blinds and gets around Yonkers very well.”
Tuesday night’s second sire stakes event had Youaremycandygirl (Yannick Gingras, $4.60, part of entry) make amends for her poor performance when last seen locally.
In play from post No. 6 this time around, she took it the distance (:28.3, :58.3, 1:27.2, 1:55.4). Timid 6-5 favourite Alexis Faith (Jim Morrill Jr.), 5-for-5 coming in, chased first-up from fourth. She did get into the second but could not sniff the winner as second choice ‘Candygirl’ widened to 3-1/2 lengths at the wire, Azreal As it Gets (Brian Sears) was third.
For Youaremycandygirl, an American Ideal miss owned by W J Donovan and trained by Ron Burke, she’s now 3-for-5 this season.
“Last time (tiring fifth in NYSS here), she came back sick and her blood was no good,” Gingras said. “I think she’s going to be a serious filly.”
(Yonkers)