On Friday night, (July 14) Yonkers Raceway hosted the New York Sire Stakes' Art Watson Pace for the three-year-old fillies.
The lasses were condensed into a trio of $56,833 divisions.
Fresh-Lasix, fool-very-few Tequila Monday (Brian Sears, $2.50) handily won the first get-together. In play from post position 6, last season’s state-bred frosh champ and this season’s Lismore champ threw down the fastest gauntlet (:28, 56.4, 1:25, 1:53.4) of the sire stakes evening.
Tequila Monday defeated her pocket shadow World Apart (Jason Bartlett) by 2-3/4 lengths, with Carly Girl (George Brennan) third.
For Tequila Monday, a daughter of American Ideal trained by Chris Oakes for co-owners Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey, it was her fifth win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $5.80, with the triple returning $18.40.
Sears doubled up his Sire Stakes pleasure a race later. He and Ann Hill ($25.40) were the beneficiaries when 1-4 choice Obvious Blue Chip (Bartlett) “fell down” on an open—but ultimately too quick (:26.4, :56.4, 1:25.2) lead.
Ann Hill slid out to race second-over, then rallied through the lane. She defeated Queen Josephine (Matt Kakaley) by a length in 1:55.4, a tick off her life best. Planet Rock (Dan Dube) finished third, while Obvious Blue Chip faded to fifth.
For Ann Hill, a daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven co-owned by trainer Richie Silverman and Neal Oksenberg, it was her second win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $151.50, with the triple returning $2,218.
“We purchased her after last season and pointed her for the Sire Stakes,” Silverman said. “She’s a beautiful filly, not a killer, but very handy. I’m lucky to have her.”
Friday night’s state-bred finale saw second choice Clear Idea (Mark MacDonald, $5.80) finish what she started (:28, :58, 1:26.2, 1:54.4), winning by a half length. From post 6, she fought off a prolonged bid of Roaring to Go (Brett Miller) for a fourth consecutive victory. Touchamatic (Brennan) was a wide-off-the-final-turn third.
For Clear Idea, an American Ideal miss co-owned by trainer Blake MacIntosh and Hutt Racing, it was her sixth win in a dozen 2017 tries. The exacta paid $12.40, with the triple returning $42.60.
“She’s just been getting better and better with each start,” MacDonald said. “She went a big mile at Vernon (1:52) last month and hasn’t turned in a bad race since.”
Friday night’s $55,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace was won by favoured Medusa (Kakaley, $5.90) in 1:53.1.
New York Sire Stakes continue at Yonkers Raceway Tuesday night (July 18), with the $160,000 Bruce Hamilton Trot for two-year-old fillies.
(Yonkers Raceway)