NYSS for 2YO Colt Trotters, 3YO Colt Pacers

They didn't exactly give away a lot of the state's money Thursday evening--you did have to earn it--but more than $400,000 was adorning Yonkers Raceway's table in a pair of New York Sire Stakes events.The $181,368 Lew Barasch Trot (2-year-old colts/geldings) was contested in three, $60,456 divisions.

 

Strong Hope (Jason Bartlett) skimmed the cones in the opening event, getting by prohibitive favorite Shaq is Back (Ray Schnittker) by a maiden-breaking  head in 2:02.3.  The latter, as the 1-5 choice, walked around the track, but could not stall the pocket-sitter. Nodoubtinmymind (Cat Manzi) was third.

 

For Strong Hope, a son of CR Excalibur trained by Dan Daley for Winbak Farm, he--part of a Daley-trained entry--returned $22.20 for that first win in  seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $61, with the triple returning $209.

 

The second division saw an unmanageable 3-10 choice, Carnegie, throw out insane first-half speed (:57.3), then predictably back up.That left the door open for Blacktuxwhitesocks (Jeff Gregory), sitting second early, to prevail in a life-best 1:59.3…a 1:02 last half. A sire stakes winner here a week ago at 8-1, you saw 15-1 this evening as "Blacktux" ($33.40) defeated Big Stick Lindy (Schnittker) by two lengths for a second victory in eight '09  tries. Sun Island (Daley) was third.The winner is a Credit Winner colt trained by Jessica Okusko for Purple Haze Stables. The exacta paid $158.50, with the triple returning $1,1,54.

 

The final event for the plebe trotters saw Schntitker again put up soft fractions on the lead--this time with Margarita Man--only to again be nailed late. RC Serpent (Daley), the 3-5 people's choice, was a loose pocket second turning for home, but made up 3 1'/2 lengths and then some. "Serpent" won by  a length going away in 2:02.1, with Cuzzin Rob (Manzi) third. For "Serpent," a son of Conway Hall trained by Daley for co-owners Ann-Mari Daley, Albert Crawford, Richard Lombardo and Highland Green Farms, he returned $3.30 for his fifth win in eight first-season starts. He led a $4.90 exacta and $9.80 triple.

 

The $219,654 Jim Crawford Pace (3-year-old colts/geldings) was nattily divided into a pair of six-figure ($109,827) events. Favorites Handsome Harry (Jim Morrill Jr.) and Diamond Stick Pin (Gregory) each went the distance.  "Harry" outdrew his abbreviated field of five rivals, then led 'em at every fractional footprint (:28.2, 57.3, 1:25.3, 1:53.2). Go Go Solano (George Brennan)  was a terrific, first-up second in a :55.4 back half, with OK  Braveheart a pocket third.

 

Handsome Harry, trained by Mark Ford for co-owners Ralph Del Priore Jr. and Harry Doyle, paid $4.50 for his 15th win (10 in a row) in 20 '09 tries.  The exacta paid $12.40, with the triple returning $22.40.

 

Diamond Stick Pin, leaving from post position No. 4, led through intervals of :28.1, 57.4, 1:25.3 and 1:54.1. He defeated a fast-closing Woodstock Hanover  (Stephane Bouchard) by a length-and-a-half, with 44-1 shot Chase the Sun (Steve Smith) third.

 

For Diamond Stick Pin, a Bettor's Delight colt trained by Okusko for Purple Haze, Conrad Zurich and Edwin Gold, he paid $4.20 for his sixth win in 14  seasonal starts. The exacta paid $40, the triple returned $592 and the superfecta (My Last Laugh [Schnittker] was fourth) paid $3,724. (Yonkers Raceway)         
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