For the first time since its inception in 1990, the annual New York Night of Champions is a plural, as in a ‘two-fer.’
This Saturday night (September 12) at Yonkers Raceway, the Empire State’s best three-year-olds have the marquee, as Yonkers Raceway will be hosting four $225,000 New York Sire Stakes finals. The NYSS events, each sponsored by a prominent breeding farm, have been carded as Race 5 through Race 8 on the 12-dash card, which will have a 7:10 p.m. first-race post time.
A quick, hot-off-the-press look at the quartet appears below.
Race 5 (Majestic View Farms Filly Trot) – Barn Doll (Post 6, Jeff Gregory) looks to repeat as divisional champion. This season’s points leader has been ultra-consistent, as in 10-for-12 this year ($352,863) and 17-for-21 lifetime. The daughter of Conway Hall, co-owned and trained by Steve Pratt, enters off a blowout win at Yonkers earlier this month.
Jewels In Hock (PP4, Jim Morrill Jr.), who is one of a select few that knocked off Barn Doll, will enter the race having won half of her 16 seasonal starts ($241,496). Lady Winona (PP7, Brian Sears) is the stronger lass in the Julie Miller-trained entry.
Race 6 (Cameo Hill Farm Filly Pace) – Bettorhaveanother (PP3, George Brennan), Band Of Angels (PP8, Matt Kakaley) and defending champ Mosquito Blue Chip (PP7, Jim Morrill Jr.) have all enjoyed their summers, although ‘Mosquito’ did make an uncharacteristic break at Yonkers in her latest try.
Bedroomconfessions (PP6, Brian Sears) will enter as hot as any of her competitors, as she has recorded three wins in her last four starts.
Race 7 (Morrisville College Equine Institute Colt/Gelding Trot) – Is there anything Yonkers Trot winner Habitat (PP3, Jim Morrill Jr.) can do for an encore? A career millionaire off his open-length win this past Saturday, the son of Conway Hall will get another look at Yonkers Trot finalists Buen Camino (PP1, TBA) and Workout Wonder (PP6, Dan Dube).
Royal Deceptor (PP5, Mickey McGivern) and Wings Of Royalty (PP7, Brian Sears) have both had productive seasons.
Race 8 (Blue Chip Farms Colt/Gelding Pace) – Artistic Major (PP3, Jim Morrill Jr.), the leader in the clubhouse, has some talented foes in Betting Exchange (PP5, Jason Bartlett) and National Seelster (PP7, Andy Miller), among others.
Yonkers will host New York Night of Champions (Part II) – which will feature four, $225,000 NYSS finals for two-year-olds – on the evening of Saturday, September 26.
(Yonkers Raceway)