Neighbor News
$1.8 Millon New York Night of Champions at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers Raceway is once again hosting the richest night of racing in New York.
Post positions have been drawn for Saturday night’s $1.8 million New York Night of Champions, with Yonkers Raceway again hosting the Empire State’s richest night of racing.
Eight, $225,000 sire stakes finals, each sponsored by a prominent breeding farm, feature the best two- and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. Art Rooney Pace champion Missile J. is atop the sophomore colt pacers, the Blue Chip Farms Pace, with Tim Tetrick in the bike, and has won four straight. Dick McGuire Trot winner SmallTownThrowDown, runnerup in the Yonkers Trot, heads the sophomore trotting colts division, the Morrisville College Equine Institute Trot, and regular pilot Dan Daley will drive.
Here’s a thumbnail of the divisions, which go as the first eight races on the card. First post is the usual 7:10 PM.
1st race (Winbak Farm 2-Year-Old Filly Pace) – These races aren’t handicapped, but this one certainly appears that way. Planet Rock (Tim Tetrick, post 7) and the late-starting Tequila Monday (Dave Miller, post 8) are arguably the best the class her to offer, with the latter setting the local track record (1:53.1) for frosh lasses. Roaring to Go (Brett Miller, post 5) was a 1:53.2 winner here.
2nd race (Allerage Farm 3-Year-Old Filly Trot) – Last season’s division champ, Non Stick (Ake Svanstedt, post 2), has enjoyed another solid summer, though she does enter off a break in her latest try. Fad Finance (Jim Morrill Jr., post 5) has hit the board in 10 of her 11 ’16 tries, Both these ladies have earned more than $200,000 this season.
3rd race (Genesee Valley Farm 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace) – Funknwaffles (Morrill Jr., post 4) has been nearly perfect, with seven wins and a second in eight tries ($144,784), while Miso Fast (Matt Kakaley, post 2) is 5-for-7 (both are 2-for-2 here). Pointomygranson (Marcus Miller, post 8) has a pair of open-lengths wins leading to this race.
4th race (Majestic View Farms International 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot) – Julie and Andy Miller have a potent pair in Devious Man (Andy Miller, post 4) and Money Macintosh (Brian Sears, post 7), a combined 9-for-17 this season. Despite common ownership, they go uncoupled (the horses, not the Millers). Zack’s Zoomer (Marcus Miller, post 5) has a win and a pair off seconds since adding the straps.
5th race (Cameo Hills Farm 3-Year-Old Filly Pace) – As evenly-matched a final as the Night of Champions offers, with Wishy Washy Girl (Morrill Jr., post 4) the one entering off a win. Last season’s frosh champ, Dime a Dance (Kakaley, post 5), has 10 board finishes in her dozen seasonal tries, while Soft Idea (Scott Zeron, post 3) has a pair of wins here.
6th race (Crawford Farms 2-Year-Old Filly Trot) – Division points leader Mamora Bay (Sam Schillaci, post 5) has been the money all season (8 starts, 5 wins [2 here], 2 seconds, 1 third), Barn Bella (Jeff Gregory, post 3), a scratched-sick in her last scheduled start (here), is 5-for-8 and won her last three races in open-distance fashion. Amber Ella (John Campbell, post 8) has learned her job lately, having won her last four tries.
7th race (Blue Chip Farms, 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace) – Art Rooney Pace winner Missile J (Tetrick, post 3), unraced at 2, enters 8-for-18 with more than $313,000 in the till. Roll Away Joe (Morrill Jr, post 5) has banked more than $200,000, stringing together four consecutive wins at one point. Manny (Brett Miller, post 6) gets a barn change entering the final.
8th race - (Morrisville College Equine Institute 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot) – Yonkers Trot runner-up Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley, post 2) blitzed his statebred rivals here in his subsequent start. He has six wins and more than $333,000 in reserve this season, Dante (Svanstedt, post 4) has been oh so consistent this season (9 wins, 4 wins, 3 seconds), while Dayson (Sears, post 8) is 8-for-13 this summer, though he ran like a deer here in his latest appearance.
