For the second time in eight nights, the Empire's leading three-year-old colts and geldings graced Yonkers Raceway, this occasion being the $233,583 New York Sire Stakes Armand Palatucci Trot.
Four divisions were dispersed among the baker's-dozen bonanza, with Holiday Credit (Dan Dube) trotting the fastest mile of this holiday weekend.
The son of Credit Winner, who shall always be remembered as the was-gonna-be-Yonkers-Trot-champ if not for an ugly late-stretch break, earned some measure of redemption in the final ($58,670) event.
Leaving from post position No. 3, Holiday Credit sat pocketed to pole-sitting, 7-10 people's choice Napoleon (Stephane Bouchard), the horse that capitalized on Holiday Credit's Yonkers Trot late stretch destruction.
Napoleon led through fractions of :28.4, :58.4 and 1:27, with Four Starz Speed (Jason Bartlett) - who beat Holiday Credit last week in a walkaround NYSS mile - having to traverse first-up.
Napoleon owned a tenuous advantage turning for home, but Holiday Credit was about to blow on by. He widened to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:56.3, with Four Starz Speed snapping second ovver Napoleon.
The effort matched the previous life best of Holiday Credit, whose career cash now exceeds $467,000.
Holiday Credit, trained by Jimmy Tatker, for co-owners Christina Takter, John Fielding and a pair of Swedish stables, returned $6.80 (second choice) for his sixth win 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $42.40, with the triple paying $78.50.
Velocity Hall (Bartlett) earned understudy honours. The son of Conway Hall wired his $58,670 event in 1:58.1 for a second consecutive NYSS win. He had begun this season losing his first 10 tries.
Leaving from post No. 3 as the 4-5 choice, Velocity Hall found the lead before a 28-second opening quarter-mile. Second-choice Big Apple Deli (Bouchard) had to work to get into the pocket, and it was essentially a match race for the remaining six furlongs.
Velocity Hall rated a pair of :30.2 middle weigh stations, taking a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane. Big Apple Deli had 660 feet of straightaway to get there, but never came close. Velocity Hall closed it out a length to the good, with Sir Prize Hall (Howard Okusko Jr.) third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths.
The winner, co-owned by Thomas Dillon and Walter Hight and trained by Jonas Czernyson, returned $3.90. The eacta paid $5.50, with the triple worth $18.20.
Saturday night's other NYSS events - worth $58,670 and $57.570 - both went to Stephane Bouchard, aboard Colies (by Credit Winner) for owner Fred Monteleone Stable, trainer Chuck Connor Jr. in 1:58.4, and Captain CR Kris (by CR Excalibur) for co-owners Mario & Anthony Vilardi and trainer Rich Campolong in 2:00.2.
Those two events choked the chalkplayers, as Ace High Hall (Dan Dube) was a non-factor fourth, and 1-2 The Principle (Dan Daley) broke early and finished fifth.
Saturday night's $40,000 Open Handicap Pace was won by Semalu Express (Steve Smith, $20.80), who went the distance in 1:53.4.
(Yonkers)