Two- and three-year-olds are ready to compete in their $300,000 USD New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) finals as part of a stakes-laden program on Saturday, Sept. 12 at MGM Yonkers Raceway, and post positions for those events are now set.
Archon, who won the final NYSS prelim at Yonkers on Aug. 31, drew post five for trainer/driver Dan Daley in the final for two-year-old male trotters. He faces the likes of Uncle Rob (PP1), Gios Hope (PP6) and Bailey J (PP7), all victors in multiple legs of the series.
Ai (PP3) will look to defend his title from 2025 in the three-year-old colt-and-gelding trot but is pitted against a formidable field that includes two from the Ake Svanstedt stable — Read the Room (PP8), and Chapter Geo J (PP6), both coming off back-to-back prelim wins.
Fragment landed the inside position as he looks for his second straight NYSS crown in the three-year-old colt-and-gelding pace. Cooperstown Boy (PP2) has won two straight in the NYSS, and Fearless Partners (PP7) captured a leg at Batavia Downs and then won the Empire Breeders Championship over Fragment at Tioga Downs last out.
Kountry Plunge comes into the final for rookie trotting fillies with a four-for-four record and starts from post one. Others in that field to taste NYSS success during the prelims were Jula Florence (PP2), Seveallisto (PP5) and Chapizzy (PP6).
Annie O (PP4) and Cowboy Candy (PP8) were the two dominant forces in the two-year-old pacing filly ranks and are set to face off in their final. Fendilicious (PP2), Phast Phyllis (PP3) and Huntsvilles Honey (PP5) also posted wins in the sire stakes in the preliminary rounds.
Odds On Monetary (PP1) and Savage Cindy (PP5) emerged as the leading three-year-old filly pacers during the regular season, but Liberty Style (PP6) is the defending champion for this group, and Surreal Spirit (PP7) won two of her last three prelims at Yonkers and Tioga, with the latter over Odds On Monetary and Liberty Style.
Sharp Seven (PP5) has her eyes on back-to-back NYSS championships in the three-year-old filly trot, but Who Dares Wins (PP4) and Laurens Chapter (PP2) both had multiple victories in the prelims — as did Sharp Seven — and Storybook Love (PP8) comes in off a victory in the Grade 3 Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Last are the rookie colt-and-gelding pacers. Rose Run Cowboy (PP4) is riding a three-race win streak, but this is a deep group in which only one of the seven entrants didn't capture at least one win during the NYSS prelims.
The fields for the NYSS finals are below.
Two-Year-Old Male Trot
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Uncle Rob - Andy Miller - Julie Miller
2. T Money - driver TBA - Dan Daley
3. Bigtime Chapter - Matt Kakaley - Marcus Melander
4. Celebrity Dubai - Brian Sears - Hunter Oakes
5. Archon - Dan Daley - Dan Daley
6. Gios Hope - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
7. Bailey J - Jason Bartlett - Noel Daley
8. Magic Musk - Jim Pantaleano - Richard Perfido
AE. Lionel Station - Jordan Stratton - Carter Pinske
Three-Year-Old Male Trot
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Highway Six - Jeff Gregory - Jeff Gregory
2. Seven Grand - Brian Sears - Ake Svanstedt
3. Ai - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
4. Sevenato - Trond Smedshammer - Trond Smedshammer
5. Twin B Seven Sins - Andrew McCarthy - Noel Daley
6. Chapter Geo J - Jason Bartlett - Noel Daley
7. Titans Mischief - Matt Kakaley - Bruce Clarke
8. Read The Room - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
AE. Whos Eyes Blues - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
Three-Year-Old Male Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Fragment - Jason Bartlett - Petter Engblom
2. Cooperstown Boy - Colin Kelly - Jared Bako
3. Knoxville - Tyler Buter - Ray Schnittker
4. Hard To Forget - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
5. Hunting Glory - Ridge Warren - Robert Cleary
6. Unmatched Wisdom - Leon Bailey - Chuck Connor Jr.
7. Fearless Partners - Jordan Stratton - Noel Daley
Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Kountry Plunge - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
2. Jula Florence - Tyler Miller - Julie Miller
3. Wavy Xavie - Jeff Gregory - Jeff Gregory
4. Secret Lover - Jason Bartlett - Marcus Melander
5. Seveallisto - Leon Bailey - Jessica Okusko
6. Chapizzy - Matt Kakaley - George Ducharme
7. Anabella - Brett Beckwith - Nancy Takter
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Hurrikane Schmazy - Yannick Gingras - John McDermott
2. Fendilicious - Yannick Gingras - Deborah Daguet
3. Phast Phyllis - Braxten Boyd - Cameron Capone
4. Annie O - Leon Bailey - Andrew Stafford
5. Huntsvilles Honey - Matt Kakaley - George Ducharme
6. Maxina - Todd McCarthy - Ricky Bucci
7. Too Pink To Pass - Lauren Tritton - Shane Tritton
8 - Cowboy Candy - Jason Bartlett - Aaron Lambert
Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Odds On Monetary - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
2. Two Twenty Swift - Yannick Gingras - Deborah Daguet
3. Hunting Memories - Colin Kelly - Jacob Stillwell
4. Ideal Beauty Queen - Scott Zeron - Jake Huff
5. Savage Cindy - Leon Bailey - Cory Stratton
6. Liberty Style - Jason Bartlett - Andrew Stafford
7. Surreal Spirit - Jeff Gregory - Jeff Gregory
8. Saulsbrook Rolo - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
AE. Existential - Tim Tetrick - Scott Di Domenico
Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Chant - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. Laurens Chapter - Jordan Stratton - Noel Daley
3. Jula Hot To Chill - Matt Kakaley - Marcus Melander
4. Who Dares Wins - Yannick Gingras - Ake Svanstedt
5. Sharp Seven - Jason Bartlett - George Ducharme
6. Flying Copper - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
7. R Ro - Tyler Buter - John Butenschoen
8. Storybook Love - Todd Ratchford - Matt Bax
AE. B Eyelash - Daniel Dube - Jenny Melander
Two-Year-Old Male Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Bastonata Bluechip - Dexter Dunn - Travis Alexander
2. Beatle Blue Chip - Todd McCarthy - Noel Daley
3. Maries Jet - Jason Bartlett - Aaron Lambert
4. Rose Run Cowboy - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
5. Primacy Station - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
6. Free Agent - Dexter Dunn - Blake Macintosh
7. Man On A Hunt - Andrew McCarthy - Noel Daley
Saturday's program, which begins at 11:50 a.m. (EDT), also includes the Grade 1 $1 million USD MGM Yonkers International Trot and two invitationals — the Bob Miecuna Trot and Aria Pace. Those races will be drawn on Tuesday, but the entrants, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
MGM Yonkers International Trot:
- Antognoni S
- Betting Pacer S
- Bourbonista S
- Diva Ek It
- Gio Cash De
- Hooker Berry Fr
- Lexus Kody
- Mellby Jinx S
- Powwow No
- Super Chapter
Aria Invitational Pace:
- Aye Aye Captain N
- Best Chip
- Captinhammerhead A
- Coaches Corner
- Fifth And Five
- Go Go Grasshopper
- Hemsworth N
- Howlenthehills
- Mossdale Ben N
- Sweet Beach Life
Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot
- Aetos Kronos S
- Ari Ferrari J
- Asteroid
- Benjamin Hanover
- Devilish Hill
- My Degenerate
- Sir Pinocchio
- Southwind Coors
- Uncle Rat
- Up Your Deo
There will be a strict detention policy in place for all New York Sire Stakes races, as well as the International Trot, Bob Miecuna Trot and the Aria Pace. The New York Gaming Commission will run the detention barn out of the paddock and the ship-in barn. It opens on Friday, Sept. 11 at 9:50 a.m. (EDT) and closes promptly at 11:50 a.m. If a horse arrives late, they will be scratched.
For Saturday's wagering menu, the Standardbred Owners Association (SOA) of New York is seeding $25,000 USD in the Pick 5, and the guarantee for that is $100,000 USD. The SOA is also seeding $10,000 USD in a special $3 minimum Pick 3 that features the Aria, Bob Miecuna, and International Trot, and that pool will be guaranteed at $25,000 USD. The guarantees are being done in conjunction with the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program.
Yonkers will have live racing Monday through Thursday and Saturday this week, with Friday dark in preparation for the International Trot program. Beginning next week, Yonkers will shift back to its Monday-through-Friday live schedule with first-race post time each night at 6:45 p.m.
(Yonkers Raceway)