New York Sire Stakes and Open stakes will be in Yonkers Raceway’s display window this week.
On Monday night, the NYSS’ Mike Cipriani Trot will offer a pair of rich divisions ($111,500 and $113,500, respectively) for three-year-old fillies, carded as Race 5 and 6.
The first race will see defending NYSS champ Market Rally (Jim Morrill Jr., Post 4) as a very probable short-priced number. The daughter of Cash Hall is two-for-two since adding lasix and NYSS wins at Buffalo Raceway and Vernon Downs. The lass, who was purchased after her juvenile season, is co-owned by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Panhellenic Stable. Glownngold (Brian Sears, Post 3), who was unraced at age two, has hit the board in eight of her 12 tries this season. Gammys Girl (David Miller, Post 1) is looking to regain her six-figure form of a season ago.
The second Cipriani event figures the more competitive, with last-out NYSS winner Avalicious (Yannick Gingras, Post 2) and Empire Breeders Classic victress Crediama (Trond Smedshammer) among the leading lasses.
On Thursday night, the $221,000 NYSS Armand Palatucci Pace will brings the three-year-old colts and geldings back downstate. A trio of groupings — purses of $72,800, $74,100 and $74,100, respectively — have been carded as Races 1, 4 and 9.
The second event is the one above the marquee. It offer the local return of Art Rooney Pace winner All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley, Post 5), part of a Burke co-owned/trained entry. The Bettors Delight colt is five-for-seven this season and has banked $273,050 in purses.
The $125,000 final of the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings will take centre stage on Saturday night. Leading the octet are this past weekend’s elimination winners In the Arsenal (Eric Goodell, 1:56.2) and Cartoon Daddy (George Brennan, 1:56.1).
The winners, trained by Kelvin Harrison and Burke, respectively, are joined by Byby Landon, Mystical Pacer, Rock N Roll World, Lone Survivor, Perfect Eagle and Parklane Eagle. The open draw for the Sheppard is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
(With files from Yonkers)