Kenneth J draws rail for NY Night of Champions

September 12, 2007

Post positions were drawn Tuesday for the 18th editiion of the New York Night of Champions, which returns to Yonkers Raceway Saturday night after a two-year stint at Saratoga. With eight $150,000 finals, a total of $1.2 million will be on the line.

The finals--going as races 2 through 9 on Yonkers' 10-race card--are each sponsored by a prominent Empire breeding facility and/or sales company.

Several statebred standouts will be on display Saturday. The pacing parade will be led by Kenneth J, who has distinguished himself in open stakes company and is on the threshold of becoming a millionaire. The 3-year-old son of Bettor's Delight is the defending champion in his division.

In a huge piece of fortune, Kenneth J drew post one and will have Jim Morrill Jr. driving.

The rookie pacing colts and geldings might be the most contentious contest, with the likes of Riggins (Ray Schnittker, post 1), Hands To Yourself (Jim Morrill Jr., post 6) and Share The Delight (Driver TBA, post 1).

Riggins whipped Hands To Yourself in what turned out to be a match race here a week ago and enters the final with five wins (including three in a row) and a second in seven seasonal starts ($144,647). Schnittker also trains the son of Art Major for co-owners Buffalo Boy's Stable, Taylor, Baldassare and Pepin. Riggins races as part of a coupled entry with Jagger Blue Chip (Driver TBA, post 3).

Hands To Yourself, who has hit the board in all seven '07 work days/nights ($99,851), owns the swiftest mile among this crowd--a 1:53.3 effort at Tioga late last month. Angelo LaBella trains the Sealed N Delivered gelding for the quartet of Moran, McCarthy, Chilson and DePasquale.

Share The Delight saw his perfect (5-for-5) career end quiickly here last week, breaking early and often as the 3-10 choice. With Morrill opting for Hands To Yourself, the son of Bettor's Delight--with seasonal stash in excess of $85,000--gets a new chauffeur for the first ttine in his brief career. Toscano trains for the Mile High melange of the Four Horsemen Stable & Algonquin Farms of Colorado.

Full sisters Lislea Phia and Lislea Sophia, both bred and owned by Yonkers' president Tim Rooney, trained by Harry Harvey and driven by Brian Cross, compete in consecutive contests.

Among the trotters, Hitwiththeladies looks to defend his sire stakes championship. The sophomore Giant Hit colt, owned and trained by Allan McCarty, won his '06 final despite an early break. This season, he's been in-the-money in 10-of-11 tries ($224,609) and has career earnings in excess of $420,000 without ever leaving the state. Morrill Jr. drives from post No. 6.

The New York Night of Champions, inaugurated in 1990, was held exclusively at Yonkers Raceway through 2004. When Yonkers closed for the installation of video gaming machines in June of 2005, the event made its way up the Thruway/Northway to Saratoga Raceway in 2005-06. (Yonkers Raceway)

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