Jezzy is--for the moment--a Perfect 9.
The Empire leading frosh lass had few issues Friday night, winning her portion of Yonkers Raceway's $234,779 New York Sire Stakes Joe Goldstein Trot
.
With co-owner/trainer Ray Schnittker taking his usual seat, Jezzy strolled right to the lead from post position No. 5. in the $79,113 third and final division.
After tickling the teletimer through intervals of :29.1, 1:00.3, 1:29.4 and 2:00.2, the 1-5 choice wound up a couple of lengths better than Dreamy Dawn (Jeff Gregory). Tap Tap Dance (Dan Daley) was third.
For Jezzy, a daugher of Credit Winner also co-owned by Jeff Gural (breeder as Little E LLC), Ted Gewertz and Jerry Silva, she returned $2.40 and now has earnied in excess of $190,000 the summer. The exacta paid $23.40, with the exacta returning $57.50.
Odds-on Some Girls (Gates Brunet) held sway in the first $77,793 division, though not before giving her chalky cheering section some Maalox moments.
After opening up 2-1/2 lengths turning for home, she hit the wall late in the lane, getting the wire a half-length ahead of Oakiedokie Hanover (George Brennan in 2:01. No More Credit (John Stark Jr.) was third. Some Girls has seven wins and a pair of seconds in her nine frosh tries.
For Some Girls, a Conway Hall lass trained by Brunet for himself, Jean Brunet, Gewertz and Michael Rosenthal, she returned $2.70 while seeing her first-season bankroll go over $151,000.
"I wanted to race her on the front," Brunet said. "She obviously wasn't at her best tonight [:31-second final quarter], but she held on," Brunet said. "She's been an overachiever for us. We really didn't have high hopes for her training down. We thought maybe we could 'steal' a few sire stakes races her and there, but we never expected to have this sort of success."
Friday night's second $77,793 NYSS division was thrown a monkey wrench when 2-5 favourite Conwayslassie (Brennan) jumped it off well before the start. She did make a tremendous recovery to catch the field, but tired first-up.
Meanwhile, Imageofasweetday (Stark Jr.) cut the mile, only to get nailed late by a pocket-sitting Steuben Loretta (Claude Huckabone Jr.). The latter, though fumbly-gaited near the wire (and inquiiry-surviving after it), edged the former by a half-length in a maiden-breaking 2:02.4. Cash On The Rail (Steve Smith) was third as the 45-1 rank outsider.
For "Loretta," a daughter of Conway Hall owned and trained by her driver, she returned $25.40 (fourth choice) for that first win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $130, with the triple returning $631.
"The trip worked out for us, and we were able to get lucky," Huckabone said. "She's not in the class of some of the other fillies, and she's had some sickness problems, but she tries."
The Raceway is hosting the $1.6 million New York Night of Champions--featuring eight, $200,000 sire stakes finals--Saturday, September 25.
Friday night's pair of $42,500 Open Handicaps, for trotters and distaff pacers, were won by Wind Surfer (Brennan, $4.70) in 1:57.4 and Symphony In Motion (Gregory, $3.90) in 1:54.1.
(Yonkers Raceway)