NY Night of Champions produces new records

September 14, 2008

Let us take a moment to remember those who used to be in the hallowed Yonkers Raceway record section.

Thong, in for a mere two months...gone.

Ace High Hall, Donttellmymife and Happy Ticket...eclipsed, but with an asterisk.

Kissing Bandit and two others from the same sewing circle....please leave.

Presidential Ball, a Sweet 16 seasons in the annals...go away.

Such were some of the outcomes during Saturday night's $1.4 million New York Night of Champions, with Yonkers Raceway's history books taking a beating early and often during the eight, $175,000 state-bred finals for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.

Stephane Bouchard, the only driver to win more than once among the octet, book-ended the festivities with the 3-year-old pacing filly Artimittateslife and the soph pacing colt Bullville Powerful.

Artimittateslife, the 9-5 second choice, held Hannah Isabel (Yannick Gingras) at bay by a length in 1:53.2. That effort was a tick better than Thong's previous divisional record, which had lasted all of two months.

Artimittateslife, a daughter of Art Major, returned $5.60 for her eighth win in 13 seasonal starts with '08 earnings in excess of $460,000. Ed Hart trains for Ontario co-owners Bob Young, Paul Gazzola and Brian Barton.

"She hasn't done anything wrong as far as I can see," Bouchard said.

Bullville Powerful, now 10-for-18 (with more than $457,000 to his credit) in '08, was carried to the lane by Corner Blitz (Gingras) before edging a first-up Riggins (Brian Sears) by a head in 1:54. The winner ($3.70), a son of Bettor's Delight, was trained by Steve Crevani for Crevani Farms.

Donttellmywife ($2.20) became the fastest 2-year-old trotter, regardless of gender, in the Raceway's history when he won his NYSS final wire-to-wire in 1:58.2. The gelded son of Malabar Man, trained by George Ducharme and driven by Jeff Gregory, is now 7-for-7 this season. Ducharme shares ownership with Shannon D'Antonio and Nicola Oliva.

"Just a pro, with his mind on his business from the start," Ducharme said.

The mile not only usurped Donttellmywife's own track record (2:01.4) for frosh geldings, set earlier this summer, it eclipsed the freshman efforts of Ace High Hall (1:59, colts) and Happy Ticket (1:59.2, fillies).

Eagle Way and driver Tony Morgan went the distance in the final for 2-year-old pacing fillies. The mile of 1:55.2 was a full second faster than the old divisional record, which was shared by three fillies, most recently Kissing Bandit.

The winner, a daughter of Dream Away owned by Frank Dettore and trained by Mark Ford, returned $3.10 as part of an odds-on favored entry. Eagle Way saved the chalk players as her pari-mutuel partner, Stolly Up Bluechip (Jim Morrill Jr.) broke early.

Hay Goodlooking pulled from third and romped in the 2-year-old colt and gelding pacing event for driver Sears. The 1:54 effort, a sixth win in seven seasonal sojourns, took out Presidential Ball's 1:54.3 freshman record which had stood since July of 1992. The son of Art Major was trained by Gates Brunet for co-owners Deborah Brunet, Ted Gewertz and Samuel Dotro.

"I've said all along he's the best horse I've ever trained," Brunet said.

Saturday's other New York Night of Champions winners were 3-year-old trotting colt Four Starz Speed ($3.90), driven by Morrill Jr in 1:59; 3-year-old trotting filly Credit Victory ($39.20), driven by Dan Dube in 1:59.2; and 2-year-old trotting filly She's So Savvy ($2.80), driven by Howard Okusko Jr. in 2:01.3.. She's So Savvy, trained by Jessica Okusko for Purple Haze Stables, has won five of her six races this season.

This was the richest of the 19 editions of the New York Night of Champions, which began in 1990 and has been raced exclusively at Yonkers save for the two seasons the Raceway was closed for the installation of video lottery terminals. (Yonkers)

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