Today's phrase that pays is "Sire Stakes-A-Paloozza," with Yonkers Raceway hosting three New York Sire Stakes divisions for statebreds this week.
Monday night, it's the $356,456 Dick McGuire Trot for three-year-old colts and geldings. Four races in succession (races 5 through 8) comprise the event.
The opening ($89,914) division includes Tirade Hanover (Victor Kirby, post 4), runner-up in last season frosh final and a winner earlier this season (life-best 1:53.1) in his elimination for the Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon. The Crazed gelding is trained by Tyler Raymer for co-owners Leigh Raymer, Stephen Moss and Harold and Helane Solomon.
The second ($88,314) grouping finds West Side Story (George Brennan, post 1) roll in off a blowout win (1:55.2) at the three turns of Georgian Downs. The son of Conway Hall, unraced at two, has offered no middle ground this season, as evidenced by two wins and two breaks in four tries.
Per Henriksen trains and co-owns (as ASA Farm) with Steve Organ.
Monday's third ($88,314) statebred event is led by Modest Prince (Jeff Gregory, post 5), an RC Royalty colt who has hit the board in four of his five seasonal starts. The win was a 50-1 upset in his division of the Simpson (Meadowlands), two starts before a cut-the-mile second to Jurgen Hanover in the $259,900 final of the Empire Breeders Classic (Vernon).
Linda Toscano trains for owner Richard Gutnick.
The final ($89,914) sire stakes event looms more contentious than the rest, with Jurgen Hanover (Brennan, post 2) eying a return to winning ways. The son of Credit Winner, reeled off seven consecutive wins to begin this season (including the Empire Breeders) before a non-factor fifth in his elim for the Earl J. Beal Memorial at Pocono.
Donna Marshall trains for co-owners Norman and Gerald Smiley and TLP Stable.
Jacks To Open (Brian Sears, post 8) has been board-certified in all but one of his six '13 tries, while he, Theraputic (Jim Morrill, Jr., post 1) and New Yorks Best (Gregory, post 5) all won sire stakes events in their latest starts.
Tuesday night offers the $353,256 Art Watson Pace for three-year-old fillies, quartered consecutively (races 4 thru 7) at $88,314 each.
The third division looms the best, with defending sire stakes champion Summertime Lea (Morrill Jr., post 2) landing right next door to Canadian upstart Belle Boyd (Jody Jamieson, post 1).
Summertime Lea, a daughter of Lislea, is a big fan of the paparazzi, having had her picture taken a dozen times in 14 lifetime starts ($383,424). She is 4-for-5 this season, the last three (Buffalo, Tioga and a life-best 1:50.4 at Vernon) in statebred competition. Ron Burke trains and co-owns (as Burke Racing) with Frank Baldachino and Earl Smith.
Belle Boyd, a daughter of Art Major, is making her second south-of-the-border career start and half-mile debut.
She romped through a pair of Woodbine series (Blossom and Princess), then finished second to the talented I Luv the Nitelife in both her elim and $391,882 final of Mohawk's Fan Hanover. For the season, she has seven wins and a pair of seconds in nine tries ($196,570). Carl Jamieson trains and co-owns (with Thomas Kyron and Joanne Morrison) the lass.
Other early favourites include Cheyenne Miriam (Simon Allard, post 5) in the first division, Bettor Think Twice (Cat Manzi, post 3) in the second grouping and Lismore winner JK Black Beauty (Sears, post 5) in the final event.
Friday night features the Armand Palatucci Pace for soph colts and geldings, to be drawn later this (Monday) afternoon.
(Yonkers Raceway)