The final week of statebred legs began Monday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting $286,060 New York Sire Stakes Frank Becerra Pace for two-year-old fillies. Four formful groupings went at in succession.
Odds-on JK Black Beauty (Tim Tetrick, $2.60) strolled from first-over in the $71,840 opening division,. Leaving from post position four, she went right on by pace-setting Know It All (John Stark, Jr.) en route to a 5-1/4 length, 1:56.2 victory. Road Bet (Brian Sears) was the best of the rest, with Rochas Hanover (George Brennan) third and Faster Faster (Jim Morrill, Jr.) fourth.
For JK Black Beauty, a daughter of Bettors Delight owned by 3 Brothers Stables and trained by Linda Toscano, it was her second win in as many tries (first NYSS effort, both in identical times).
The second ($70,540) sire stakes event saw a free-wheeling Freetime (Andy Miller, $3) finish what he started. In play from post three, he worked around Silk Pajamas (Jason Bartlett), then went on a 1:56 joyride. Freetime easily whipped Silk Pajamas by 3-3/4 lengths, with Exclamation (Morrill, Jr.) nearly three lengths farther back in third.
For Freetime, an Artiscape lass co-owned by her driver and Triple D Stables and trained by the driver's wife, Julie, she's now 4-for-8 this season with earnings in excess of $141,000.
Monday's third ($71,840) Becerra division found Tetrick and Toscano teaming again, this time with even-money Give Me An Amen ($4). Leaving from post two, she needed only hold off pocket-sitting Brussels Hanover (Brennan), which she did by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.4. Mollie Mile (Morrill, Jr.) was third and Art Ideal (Bartlett) finished fourth.
For Give Me an Amen, an Art Major miss co-owned by Martin Steinberg, Fred Wallace and Stake Your Claim Stable, it was her fourth win (with three seconds) in eight '12 tries.
The evening's final ($71,840) foray produced yet more chalk, and a track record for this weight class.
In what turned out to be a match race from the get-go, Summertime Lea (Morrill, Jr., $2.90) sat pocketed to second-choice Hit The Curb (Bartlett) through speedy intervals of :27.1, :56 and 1:24.2. She then edged past her stubborn foe by a length in 1:54.1. The effort knocked a tick off the previous local record for frosh fillies, jointly held by the talented troika of City Delight (2010), See You at Peelers (2010) and Handsoffmycookie (2011).
Park N Orchard (Sears) was third, beaten nearly 11 lengths.
For Summertime Lea, a daughter of Lislea co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Earl Smith and Frank Baldachino, her third consecutive (NYSS) victory was her seventh win in eight summertime starts.
New York Sire Stakes resume downstate Tuesday night, with the $340,268 Joe Goldstein Trot (three-year-old fillies) and Thursday night with the $286,600 Lew Barasch Trot (two-year-old colts/geldings).
(Yonkers Raceway)