New York Sire Stakes offered up its final downstate preliminary leg Friday night, with a damp Yonkers Raceway hosting the $250,011 Ardsley Pace for two-year-old fillies
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The opening $82,237 event was won by odds-on, division queen Handsoffmycookie (catch-driver Pat Lachance, $2.40). Leaving from post position No. 3, she watched as JK Fine Art (Jim Morrill Jr.) stepped around Up Front Sharon (Yannick Gingras). The former put down intervals of :28.4 and :58, before "Cookie" moved from fourth.
More than a bit wide in turn three, Handsofmycookie nonetheless made steady advances, taking a brief, three-hole seat by the 1:26.2 three-quarters.
She went after JK Fine Art in and out of the final turn, before drawing off by a couple of lengths in 1:55.3. Up Front Sharon grabbed second over JK Fine Art, with Silk Purse (catch-driver Brandon Simpson) and Big Bad Baylee (Jason Bartlett) completing the cashers.
For Handsoffmycookie, a daughter of Art Major trained by Scott DiDomenico for owner JFE Enterprise, she's now seven-for-eight this season (six-for-six in NYSS action) after a third consecutive victory. The exacta paid $10.80, with the triple returning $22.20. F
riday night's second $83,837 Ardsley grouping was a down-the-road effort by Major Look (George Brennan).
Wide early--and around a breaker--from post No. 5, she hydroplaned through fractions of :28.2, :58., 1:26 and 1:55.4. Double Major (Tim Tetrick), the 9-10 choice, was in some tight quarters with Another Hanover (Morrill Jr.) down the backside. The favourite rallied for second, beaten a length-and-quarter. Jamie Sue (Gingras) closed for third.
For Major Look, an Art Major miss owned by Joseph Balkunas and trained by Robert Riddle, she returned $5.30 (second choice) her third win in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta paid $8.30, with the triple returning $35.
The final $83,837 sire stakes event had pole-sitting fave Park Lane Paige (Gingras) stuff two rivals in behind, then take it the distance (:28.3, :57.4, 1:27.1, 1:56.1) Bettor B Lucky (Morrill Jr.) chased home the winner, cosmetically closing the final margin to three-quarters of a length. Sir Erika Z Tam (Lachance) was placed third after Hayworth Blue Chip (Ray Schnittker) was set down to sixth for interference passing the half.
For Park Lane Paige, yet another daughter of Art Major--this one owned by Shirley Le Vin and trained by Mark Ford--she returned $4.90 for her fourth win in 10 '11 tries. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $11.40, with the triple returning $154.
Friday night's $52,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace was won by the Casie Coleman-trained Western Silk (Brennan, $2.90), getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.3, while the $52,000 Open Trot went to millionaire Grain Of Truth (Schnittker, $7) in an added-distance 2:03.2.
(Yonkers Raceway)