This weekend, Yonkers Raceway will showcase another visit from the state-breds and a glimpse, perhaps, at the stars of the future.
Friday night’s New York Sire Stakes’ Art Watson Pace will showcase the three-year-old fillies in a pair of divisions, which have been carded as Race 6 and Race 11.
The opener, which will feature a purse of $83,937, will feature a three-headed, Ron Burke-trained ‘monster’ in Dime A Dance (Matt Kakaley, Post 2), Mother Of Art (Joe Bongiorno, Post 3) and Art Critic (George Brennan, Post 8).
Dime A Dance, a Roll With Joe lass, was third in the $100,000 Lismore Pace here in late May.
Seafood Linda (Brian Sears, Post 1), with a pair of Excelsior wins, and Soft Idea (Jason Bartlett, Post 6), a sire stakes winner at Monticello Raceway, loom as main adversaries.
Friday’s second NYSS events includes Time On My Hands (Bartlett, Post 4), ‘thrice’ a winner in six seasonal starts. The daughter of American Ideal will make her first purse start in 23 days and her first money start since adding Lasix.
American Ivy (Andy Miller, Post 6) also makes her first ‘real’ start in the time frame and she will try for a third sire stakes win of the season.
Saturday night’s $100,000 Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace, which is Yonkers’ premier open event for freshman colts and geldings, has been carded as Race 6.
If the lads knew what they sold for, Humboldt (Mark MacDonald, Post 3) might have an attitude problem. The $130,000 American Ideal colt cost more than the rest of his rivals put together.
Humboldt will make his pari-mutuel debut for owner Brixton Medical and trainer Jimmy Takter. He’s partnered in the wagering with Southwind Diablo (Brennan, Post 1).
Summer Side (Ray Schnittker, Post 6) was a solid second in a PA Sire Stake event, while Chip Walther (Bartlett, Post 5) won a Landmark event at Goshen. The latter is coupled with Rollin About (Brent Holland, Post 2).
(Yonkers Raceway)