Post positions have been drawn for Saturday’s $1.8 million New York Night of Champions, with Yonkers Raceway again hosting the 29th edition of the Empire State’s richest night of racing.
Eight, $225,000 sire stakes finals, each sponsored by a prominent breeding farm or organization, feature the best two- and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
Here’s a hot-off-the-presses thumbnail of the divisions, which go as the races 2 through 9 during the dozen-race card. First post is the usual evening standard of 6:50 p.m.
Race 2 (Crawford Farms Two-Year-Old Filly Trot)
Division points leader Winndevie (Trond Smedshammer, post 3) won her first five seasonal starts before a second-place finish at Saratoga. The daughter of Credit Winner, trained by her driver for owner Purple Haze Stables, won twice here, as did Conway Kellyanne (Charlie Norris, post 5). Amal Hall (Andy Miller, post 6) has three wins and four seconds in her seven tries, while Quincy Blue Chip (Jim Morrill, Jr., post 7) has been board-certified in all seven starts (4 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third). ‘Quincy’ has earned $125,712, making her the richest lass among the octet.
Race 3 (Agriculture and NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot)
Gimpanzee (Brian Sears, post 5) has been more untouchable than Eliot Ness, as in 6-for-6 ($166,358) by a combined margin of 23-1/4 lengths. The son of Chapter Seven is trained by Marcus Melander for Delray Beach co-owners Courant Inc and S R F Stable. Gimpanzee enters off a handy win here, as does Thunder (Jason Bartlett, post 3). The son of Conway Hall has won half of his eight seasonal efforts, with all the win in his last five tries. Chip Chip Conway (Jim Taggart, Jr., post 8) has hit the board in seven of his nine tries this season.
Race 4 (Agriculture and NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace)
Melodies Major (Tyler Buter, post 1) has won just about everything this season (8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, $166,433), including the draw for the statebred finale. The Art Major colt is trained by Mark Ford for owner Martin Scharf. Hickfromfrenchlick (Tim Tetrick, post 6) has the 100G final of the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace here leading his 4-for-6 resume. Major Blake (Bartlett, post 8) has won thrice in his five tries.
Race 5 (Winbak Farm Two-Year-Old Filly Pace)
So Awesome (Tetrick, post 6) led the points parade, winning four races (two here) during here frosh foray ($176,190). The So Surreal miss is trained by Scott DiDomenico for owner William Hartt. St. Somewhere (George Brennan, post 2) strung together three consecutive NYSS wins in July, also with a pair here. Moneyshot Hanover (Buter, post 3) tried her luck in open company north of the border after a pair of statebred wins.
Race 6 (Allerage Farm Three-Year-Old Filly Trot)
All-age track-record-holder (1:53.1) Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt, post 2) has been a beast all season (10 starts, 5 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, $372,601). She did throw down the new record in the $129,014 Hudson two starts, ago, then won a Saratoga NYSS event by seven-and-change widening lengths. One of her rare poor performances came in last season’s statebred finale, however. Svanstedt trains for himself, Blue Chip Bloodstock, Little E LLC, Tomas Andersson and Rick Zeron Stables. Lucky Ava (Bartlett, post 4) did upset to become the frosh champ a season ago and has five wins among her 10-for-11 board finishes this time around. Repentance (Tetrick, post 8) has won her last three tries, a pair in NYSS and a division of the Simcoe.
Race 7 (Cameo Hills Farm Three-Year-Old Filly Pace)
‘Defending’ champ Alexis Faith (Morrill, Jr., post 3) has not lost a step ($228,000-plus last season, $230,000-plus this season). The daughter of American Ideal is co-owned by West Wins Stable, Jim Fielding J. Robert Darrow & Kevin McKinlay and trained by Casie Coleman. The $112,904 Lady Maud here earlier this month was one of her four seasonal wins. Wisdom Tree (Tetrick, post 4), the group’s point leader, has been vicious this season, as in 10 wins and a second in a baker’s dozen tries ($274,851). Newsday (Jordan Stratton, post 1) owns a pair of local sire stakes wins.
Race 8 (Morrisville College Equine Institute Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot)
With Yonkers Trot winner Six Pack AWOL, runner-up Helpisontheway (Morrill, Jr., post 4) becomes one of the targets. The Chapter Seven colt, trained by Linda Toscano for co-owners Camelot & Bay’s Stable and Little E LLC, has six win and four seconds in his 12 ’18 tries ($355,275). He had four wins in a row earlier this season. Winning Shadow (Mike Simons, post 3) has five wins this season, while The Veteran (Stratton, post 8) has six wins and over $194,000 this season despite drawing poorly more than once.
Race 9 (Blue Chip Farms Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace)
No one has exactly stepped up and grabbed the baton in the state’s glamour division, Springsteen (Sears, post 1) won a draw-time ‘tiebreaker’ to get into this race, then won the draw. Thrice a winner in a dozen seasonal starts ($346,729), the Rock N Roll Heaven colt has been tough to figure. Rene Allard co-owns (with Bruce Soulsby, Alan Weisenberg and Kapildeo Singh) and trains. Ghost Dance (Morrill, Jr., post 5) enters with consecutive statebred wins, while Rockapelo (Bartlett, post 4) has hit the board in nine of this year’s 12 starts.
(Yonkers)