The father/son duo of trainer Brett Pelling and driver Jack Pelling teamed up with Earthwindfire and Southwind Bella to win both $84,000 New York Sire Stakes divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies on Thursday night (Aug. 3) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Earthwindfire, who won the Park MGM Pace at Yonkers earlier this year, left from post five in the first grouping but had to work on the rim for the entire opening turn to get by True Blue Hanover (Jason Bartlett), who gunned out from the pole position. Earthwindfire got to the top prior to the :27.4 opening quarter and then backed down the tempo to :56.1 at the half and 1:25.4 at three-quarters, with True Blue Hanover in close attendance in the two-hole.
Bartlett moved True Blue Hanover off the pylons late on the final bend to take a shot at Earthwindfire, and although True Blue Hanover gained to the wire, she couldn't get by the pacesetter, falling short by a head in a 1:54.3 mile. Sweet Home (Brian Sears), who broke briefly past the start and then was 12 lengths behind at the half after getting stuck behind a gapping Secret Garden (George Brennan), closed well to collect third.
Pelling trains Earthwindfire, a daughter of American Ideal bred by Dr. Stephen Dey III, for owners Mel Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Tulip Racing. Earthwindfire has a record of 11-4-0 from 17 starts, including a perfect six-for-six mark thus far in 2023, and pushed her earnings to $508,400.
She paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favourite and was atop a $6.20 exacta and an $11.40 trifecta.
Southwind Bella (pictured above) won the other section in similar fashion, but by a wider margin. Pelling hit the accelerator with her from the outside post six, but again had to press on around the first turn to get by Bartlett and Rock My Socks. Southwind Bella was able to do that before the :27.4 quarter, and from there was unchallenged through a :56 half and a 1:25.1 three-quarters en route to a 3-1/2-length victory in 1:53.1. Vivians Dream (Sears) was second after going first-over from fourth in the third quarter and Silky Stride (Scott Zeron) advanced from sixth to third in the final panel.
A daughter of Huntsville bred by Southwind Farms, Southwind Bella, who is owned by Thaddeus Wier, has six wins, four seconds and two thirds from 13 trips behind the gate and has pocketed $153,322.
She returned $3.60 to win as the 4-5 favourite. The exacta was worth $6.80 and the trifecta kicked back $25.80.
There were also three $20,000 New York Excelsior "A" Series events held, with the victories going to Rec Time (by Huntsville and bred by Fair Winds Farm, Mark Mullen and Steve Jones) in 1:55.1 for driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Deborah Daguet and owners D Racing Stable Inc. and Jason Osullivan; High Fashion Star (by Huntsville and bred by owner All Star Racing) in 1:54.3 for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Mark Ford; and Light And Tight (by American Ideal and bred by Concord Stud Farm) in 1:56.1 for driver Jordan Stratton, trainer Nifty Norman and owners Pinske Stables and David Hoese.
The New York Sire Stakes circuit returns to MGM Yonkers Raceway next Thursday night (Aug. 10) with the three-year-old colt and gelding trotters in action.
Alan Schwartz carved his path to the winner’s circle in both $10,000 divisions of the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) Trots on Thursday.
In the first division, Schwartz persevered through a first-over grind to win with Reel Em In in 2:00.2. Schwartz shuttled Reel Em In out of post seven to sit third while Drazzmatazz (Yogi Sheridan) grabbed the top to a :28.4 first quarter and soon slowed proceedings to a :59.2 half. With the tempo decreasing, Reel Em In angled off the pegs to the half and advanced along the rim to take a narrow lead by three-quarters in 1:29.1, but the outside path allowed Drazzmatazz to save ground and retake the lead spinning for home. Reel Em In reengaged upon straightening to overpower Drazzmatazz to the finish, winning by three lengths at the pole. Judge Ken (Jacob Stillwell) kicked from off the speed for third and Swan Factor (Scott Keppler) took fourth.
Robert Dill trains Reel Em In, a six-year-old gelding by Crazed, for owner Anthony Mazzeo. The race was the first of three non-betting events on the card, with the second division going as the second event.
And in that second event, Schwartz this time guided his pupil Raceace from a pocket ride straight into paydirt when collaring Jive Ninety Five (Yogi Sheridan) at the end of a 2:00.2 mile. Jive Ninety Five faced no pressure while cutting a clip of :30.1, 1:01 and 1:30.2, though Raceace readied the whole time for the sprint awaiting in the homestretch. Schwartz pulled and Raceace downed Jive Ninety Five to snag a head victory while Uncle Kip (Tony Ciuffetelli) levelled off to finish third and Wishful Mar (Paul Minore) gave chase in fourth.
Schwartz owns and trains Raceace, a seven-year-old gelding by Yankee Glide.
The NAADA Summer Series is now set to crown its champion. Next Thursday, Yonkers Raceway will host the final of the NAADA Summer Series, while Monticello Raceway is slated to host a consolation on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently racing Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with post time at 7 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from Yonkers Raceway and NAADA)