Freshmen grabbed the marquee Thursday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $249,459 New York Sire Stakes Hartsdale Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings
Three divisions - two off the card - went postward in a brisk wind.
The lone ($83,653) wagering event was, on paper, the most contentious, with standout statebreds Lawgiver Hanover (George Brennan), Steelhead Hanover (Jim Morrill, Jr.) and Heston Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) drawing the first three slots. Heston Blue Chip took matters into his own hooves early, making the lead before a :29-second opening quarter-mile The 4-5 choice then waltzed from there, hitting the half in :58.3 and the three-quarters in 1:26.4. A length-and-a-quarter lead turning for home turned to 2-1/2 lengths at the wire, which he found in 1:54.2 (:55.3 back half).
Lawgiver Hanover held off Steelhead Hanover for second, with Whos Your Maddy (Brian Sears) and Sir Howies Z Tam (Pat Lachance) completing the cashers.
For Heston Blue Chip, an American Ideal colt owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano, he returned $3.60 and is now seven-for-eight his summer, with earnings in excess of $158,000.
"He just shows up and does his work," Tetrick said. "It was windy out there, and these horses aren't used to racing in 60 (actually 62)-degree weather yet, so that was a very good race by him."
A pair of non-bettors, worth $83,653 and $82,153, were won by:
• Escape The News - g (by Artiscape); co-owners Brittany Farms & Val D'Or Farms / trainer Joe Holloway / driver Sears; 1:56
• Art Of Temptation - g (by Artiscape): co-owners (trainer) Ian Kaufman, Michael Belotti, David and Edward Reich / driver Brennan; 1:57
New York Sire Stakes continue Monday night with the $234,832 See You at Peelers-less Peekskill Pace for three-year-old fillies, and Tuesday night with $253,593 Larchmont Pace (three-year-old colts/geldings).
(Yonkers Raceway)