There were some strange doings Tuesday night during Yonkers Raceway's presentation of the $218,123 New York Sire Stakes Bedford Pace
.
Each of the three divisions of three-year-old fillies offered a short -priced favourite, yet only one delivered on her puny pari-mutuel promise.
The talented Indulge Me was sent off at 1-2 in her $71,841 division. Leaving from post position two, she made the lead around Up Front Kellie Jo after a :27.4 opener and owned the advantage at the mid-way point in :57.3.
However, Indulge Me was powerless to stave off the unwanted advances of All Spirit and driver Jim Marohn, Jr. That one rolled first-up from fourth and had an open-length lead by the 1:25.1 three-quarters. All Spirit defeated JK Cameo by more than two lengths in a snappy 1:53.4. Up Front Kellie Jo closed late for third.
All Spirit, a daughter of Bettors Delight-Spirit Of Ivy trained by Tim Lanpher for owner Larry Lanpher, returned $6.50 for her seventh victory in 14 seasonal starts. As for Indulge Me, she and her bridge-jumping bandwagon (more than $14,600 of the more than $16,600 in the show pool) faded to fifth, beaten better than 10 lengths.
A rare off-the-board finish for Indulge Me resulted in show prices of $13, $42.60 and $14.40, respectively.
Another heavy favourite was the 1-5 choice Witch Is Bettor in the final event. Away third from the pylons, Witch is Bettor made the lead, albeit briefly, after a :56.4 half. She then watched 15-1 shot On The Glass and driver Yannick Gingras take charge.
On The Glass had the lead for good in third turn and continued to run up the score. She had five lengths turning for home before defeating Eagle Way by more than two lengths in a career-best clocking of 1:54.3. Early leader Bet On Luck was third, while Witch is Bettor wound up sixth.
For On the Glass, an Art Major-Abbey Won miss trained by Ed Hart for co-owners Cynthia Masseri and Joe DiScala, she returned $32.40 for her second win of the season in 14 tries.
Chalk players found some solace in the middle split when pole-sitting Perfect Launch, who was rough in the early part of the mile, make the lead for good after the half for driver Jason Bartlett. The odds-on choice was a couple of lengths the best in 1:56, defeating Maries Z Tam and Market Dynamic.
For Perfect Launch, a daughter of Riverboat King-Cambridge United owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano, she returned $2.60 for her fifth win of the campaign in 14 assignments.
Earlier in the evening, Matt Medeiros had his 1,000th career training win when Fox Valley Devious won his $20,000 assignment for driver Jason Bartlett.
New York Sires Stakes action continues at Yonkers Raceway on Thursday night with the $179,068 Milt Taylor Trot for two-year-old colts and geldings. There are also NYSS events scheduled throughout next week...
(Yonkers Raceway)