New York Sire Stakes continued downstate Tuesday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $201,600 Mike Cohen Trot for two-year-old fillies. The quintet of races honoured the memory of the former Yonkers and NBC Sports publicity director, with his family and friends making winner’s circle presentations.
The opening ($39,900) event saw a down-the-road Pig Hunt (George Brennan, $9.80), from post position five, break the tape in a spiffy 1:59.4 (:30.2, 1:01.2 and 1:30.1). The effort matched her previous season’s-best. Frou Frou (Brett Miller), as the 7-10 favourite, lost her tow when Icy Sprite (Jason Bartlett) broke, then could not get near the winner. The final margin was a length, with Praying Gear (Jeff Gregory) third.
For third choice Pig Hunt, a daughter of Conway Hall co-owned by (trainer) Janice and Jennifer Connor, it was her second win in four first-season starts.
“She shows trotting every start, so I wasn’t worried about her,” Brennan said. “I was able to back down the half and control the race.”
Tuesday night’s second ($40,900) sire stakes event was a successful debut for Shaqline (Jimmy Takter, $6.20). In play early from post two, she found a :30.1 opening quarter-mile. Then, Concentration (Chris Lems) grabbed the baton (1:01.2, 1:30.2), 17-10 choice Barn Girl (Gregory) trotting in place first-up. Concentration owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, but Shaqline took to the passing lane like a veteran. She ducked in and went by, the final margin a length-and-a-quarter in 2:00.1. Cherry Crown Jewel (Dan Daley) was third, with Barn Girl winding up fourth.
For second choice Shaqline, a Credit Winner trained by Takter for Brixton Medical AB, her sire stakes debut came after just one baby race.
“She’s bred to be very good,” Takter said of the full-sister to $400,000-plus winner Shaq Is Back. “She had breathing issues and three surgeries. Fortunately, she had some good doctors.”
The third ($39,900) Cohen division saw Summer Scent (Daley, $17.40) - from post four - sit behind 2-1 choice Kaliska (Ray Schnittker) through fractions of :28.3, :59 and 1:29.2. Summer Scent then made her way past, winning by a half-length in a maiden-breaking 2:00.3. Third went to Duolectra (Corey Callahan).
For fourth choice Summer Scent, a Malabar Man miss trained by Daley for co-owners Ann-Mari Daley and Jlrl LLC, it was that first win in five ’14 tries.
“She keeps at it,” Dan Daley said. “She doesn’t always want to pass another horse, but she drew better tonight and that helped.”
The fourth ($40,600) sire stakes event was won by an in-form, 9-10 fave Barn Doll (Gregory, $3.80). Unhurried from post two, she watched as Summers Windsong (Schnittker) and Nunkeri (Callahan) took turns through fractions of :29, :59.4 and 1:30.1.
Barn Doll methodically made her move, first-up from fourth before collaring the leader early in the lane. She then edged away to beat Nunkeri by a length-and-a-half in 1:59.1 – the night’s fastest and matching her previous life-best. Summers Windsong was third.
For Barn Doll, a Conway Hall lass co-owned by (trainer) Steve & Nancy Pratt and Purple Haze Stables, it was her fourth (consecutive) win in five seasonal starts.
“She’s a smart filly,” Gregory said. “She’s able to relax and that’s going to help her as she moves along. Tonight, when we moved, there was no one in front of her, but can just as easily chase another.”
The evening’s statebred schedule ended in the fifth ($40,600) grouping, where slight choice Stirling Debutant (Ron Pierce, $6.80) showed good speed on both ends of a first-win 2:01.2 effort.
Leaving from post five, Stirling Debutant wound up sitting behind Northern Obsession (Schnittker) and that one’s weight stations of :30, 1:01.3 and 1:31.2. When Zanna Blu (Gates Brunet) attacked the leader with a bold second move, Stirling Debutant extricated herself from the cones and angled out. She then whipped a stubborn Zanna Blu by three-quarters of length. Third went to Meshugana Miss (Jordan Stratton), with Stories to Tell (Lems) fifth-placed-fourth.
For Stirling Debutant, a daughter of Credit Winner co-owner by (trainer) Rick Zeron, Cool Cat Racing and James Walker, she’s now 1-for-4 this season.
“I spoke to Rick (Zeron) a couple of days ago, and he said if I just gave her a chance, she’d be alright,” Pierce said. “I made the (final turn) decision to take her outside, because with some of these two-year-olds get a bit skittish when you duck them inside. “
New York Sire Stakes continue Thursday night, with $200,900 New York Sire Stakes Jim Meagher Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings.
(Yonkers Raceway)