Fields set for New York Night of Champions

Post positions have been drawn for the 19th editiion of the New York Night of Champions, hosted by Yonkers Raceway this Saturday night. The $1.4 million cash grab is comprised of eight, $175,000 Sire Stakes finals, for 2 and 3 year olds of both sexes and gaits. The finals--going as the first eight races of the 13-race card--with first post at 6:50 p.m., each carry the name a of a prominent New York harness figure.

The rundown for Saturday's New York Night of Champions:

        1st Race--Betty Weiley 3-Year-Old Filly Pace
        2nd Race--Charlie Knauss 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot  
        3rd Race--Phil Tully 2-Year-Old Filly Pace
        4th Race--Morty Finder 2-Year-Old Filly Trot
        5th Race--Bruce Hamilton 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace
        6th Race--Jimmy Dunnigan 3-Year-Old Filly Trot
        7th Race--Harry Zweig 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot
        8th Race--Oscar Kimelman 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace.

Once again, the summer produced any number of statebred standouts. Artimittateslife, who drew post position four in the first event, has won seven of her 12 seasonal starts and just under $374,000. The daughter of Art Major is driven by Stephane Bouchard and trained by Ed Hart for an Ontario triumvirate.

The freshman trotting colt event features a pair of six-figure earners in the six-for-six Donttellmywife (Jeff Gregory, post three) and Judge Joe (D.R. Ackerman, post five), while the first-season pacing ladies include $100,000 performers Stolly Up Bluechip (driver TBA, post two) and Eagle Way (driver TBA, post four), along with B Intensified (driver TBA, post five).

Jim Morrill Jr.--popaulr guy--shows up as the early designated driver for all three "TBA's," with the "Stolly" and Eagle Way racing as a coupled entry..

Rookie trotting filly She's So Savvy (Howard Okusko Jr., post five) enters Saturday night with four consecutive open-length victories, while plebe pacing colt My Last Laugh (Bouchard, post six) has five wins and a pair of seconds in his eight '08 tries ($101,591).

The 3-year-old trotting fillies include It's Coast Time (Gregory, post one) and Parcc Side (Morrill, post four), who are a combined 12-for-25 with more than a quarter-million-dollars on account this season.

Yonkers Trot was-gonna-win-it-until-he-broke Holiday Credit (Dan Dube, post seven) leads a stellar 3-year-old colt/gelding field, with also includes Big Apple Deli (Bouchard, post four) and Four Starz Speed (Morrill, post two).

The state's glamour division is just that, with $370,000 winner Bullville Powerful (Bouchard, post two), defending NYSS champ Riggins (Brian Sears, post four) and the very sharp Corner Blitz (Yannick Gingras, post six) among the octet. (Yonkers)   

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