On Tuesday night (August 8), Yonkers Raceway played host to the New York Sire Stakes' Milt Taylor Trot for two-year-old colts and geldings, which was comprised of three $54,000 divisions.
The opening event saw second choice Clive Bigsby (Jason Bartlett, $4.60) get the jump on 3-5 Funknpancakes (Corey Callahan), beating that rival handily in 1:58.2.
Away fourth from position No. 7, ‘Clive’ saw Alex The Great (Andy Miller) move around Funknpancakes and lead through intervals of :29.4 and :59.4.
Clive Bigsby then challenged through the 1:29.3 three-quarters, putting ‘Alex’ away. The new leader opened a length-and-a-half in the lane then, with an extricated ‘Pancakes’ in pursuit, widened to the three lengths at the wire. Alex The Great was a clear third.
For Clive Bigsby, a Muscle Mass gelding co-owned by (trainer) George Ducharme and Winners Racing Stable, it was his fourth win in five seasonal starts (2-for-3 in NYSS).
“He’s just a handy horse with a good attitude,” Bartlett said. “When I made the lead, his ears pricked right up and he took off.”
The second sire stakes grouping, pared to gang of seven, was won by a pocketed Purpose Blue Chip (Dan Daley, $7)
In play from post No. 3, ‘Purpose’ was sequestered behind even-money choice Cruising in Style (Bartlett) as that won led strung-out rivals (:29.1, :59.2, 1:29).
Despite cruising in style, Cruising In Style was unable to close the sale. Up a length off the final turn, he watched as Purpose Blue Chip went by…with purpose.
The final margin was a length-and-a-half in 1:58.4, with The Veteran (Brian Sears) making up some 10 lengths in the back half to finish third.
For third choice Purpose Blue Chip, a son of Chapter Seven trained by his driver for co-owners Ann-Mari Daley, James Crawford IV, Richard Lombardo and Donald Brenner, it was a maiden-breaker after a pair of seconds.
The ‘fastest was the lastest’ as odds-on Fourth Dimension (Sears, $2.60) easily won the evening’s final sire stakes soiree. Having to wait his turn for the lead, Fourth Dimension—from post No. 6—did just that.
Once there, few issues (:28.1,:58, 1:27.2, 1:57), with the effort matching Dejarmbro’s (Sept., 2010) track record for frosh trotting colts. The margin was a length-and-quarter in and out of the final turn and 2-1/4 lengths at the wire. Perlucky (Trond Smedshammer), at 25-1, offered good late trot to grab second from Rich Uncle (George Brennan) while 54-1 number Ronnie Goldstein (Kim Crawford) was fourth.
For Fourth Dimension, a Chapter Seven colt owned by Courant Inc. and trained by Marcus Melander, he’s now a perfect 3-for-3 (all in NYSS) to begin his career.
“I don’t know what I can say about him other than he’s a superb athlete,” was Melander’s winner’s circle summation.
(Yonkers)