New York Sire Stakes continued downstate Tuesday night (May 14), as Yonkers Raceway hosted the soggy Art Watson Pace for three-year-old fillies. Two consecutively-contested divisions, at $85,250 apiece, comprised the event.
Odds-on Zero Tolerance widened in the first division. From post position four, she crawled through splits of :28.2 and :59.2), then rebuffed a hard challenge from Meghan Lynn before finishing the job to a 1:55.2 mile.
Zero Tolerance whipped a loosely-pocketed So Awesome by two-and-a-half lengths, with DD Delicious third and Crazy Cute fourth.
For Zero Tolerance, a daughter of Heston Blue Chip co-owned by Val D’or Farms & Ted Gewertz and trained by Joe Holloway, it was her first win in two seasonal starts (7-for-13, $485,813 as two-year-old). David Miller drove the $2.40 winner. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $4.80, the triple returned $32.80 and the superfecta paid $177.50.
“She was good and strong. I liked the way she raced,” Miller said.
The second and final sire stakes event saw a perfectly-towed Brooklyn Lilacs edge Hurrikane Norakane, who carried her into the fray.
The latter went up and over the just-over-even-money choice JK American Beauty after the one led through intervals of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26.2. When the leader tired, she trapped last season’s frosh champ, Money Shot Hanover, in behind.
Hurrikane Norakane grabbed a short lead off the final turn, but Brooklyn Lilacs—from post four—was ready for her close-up. Brooklyn Lilacs went by late to win, the margin a neck, in a life-best 1:55.2. Heavens Challenge closed from third over to grab third, with Money Shot Hanover settling for fourth.
For sixth-choice Brooklyn Lilacs, a homebred Rock N Roll Heaven miss owned by Crawford Farms and trained by Jennifer Bongiorno, it was her first win in three ’19 tries (1-for-7, $60,660 as two-year-old). Joe Bongiorno drove the $65.00 winner. The exacta paid $466, the triple returned $4,466 and the superfecta paid $7,127.
“She’s a nice filly and I think she’s going to get better every start,” driver Bongiorno said.
New York Sire Stakes returns downstate Thursday night, June 20 with the Jim Meagher Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings.
A friendly reminder from Yonkers Raceway that Thursday evening’s, May 16, Pick-5 wager starts with a carryover of $5,599.16 and a $15,000 guaranteed pool. The guarantee is in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.
The Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races 6 through 10 Thursday night. It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Tuesday night), the entire pool (minus takeout) moves to the next racing program.
(with files from Yonkers Raceway)