Maryland-breds perform well at home and away
Last weekend offered standardbred racing fans a chance to see many of the sport's top trotters and pacers compete on a stellar card at Yonkers Raceway that also included eight New York Sire Stakes finals. One of those events was won by a Maryland-bred and several other horses bred in the Free State did well that afternoon and others looked solid at Rosecroft Raceway that evening and again on Sunday evening.
In fact, in the opening race on the Saturday afternoon card at Yonkers, Jersey Jim (Jim Devaux) rallied from well off the pace and widest of all in the lane to capture the $225,000 New York Sire Stakes final for two-year-old pacing colts & geldings as an overlooked 12-1 shot in 1:54.3. A gelded son of Artiscape trained by Perry Simser for owners Robert & Gail Sanders of Illinois, Jersey Jim notched his fourth win from nine starts and nearly tripled his lifetime earnings toward $120,000 while handing 2-5 choice Hitman Hill (Brett Miller) his first setback in seven outings.
Then three races later in the $225,000 NYSS final for three-year-old filly pacers, Winbak Farm products Clear Idea (Mark Macdonald) and Tequila Monday (David Miller) finished second and third, respectively, as Obvious Blue Chip (Scott Zeron) led throughout to score as the 6-5 choice in 1:53.2. Clear Idea now owns a 9-8-2 slate and $325,000 banked from 20 starts this year for trainer Blake Macintosh, while Tequila Monday sports an 8-7-2 slate and $380,000 bankroll from 20 tries for trainer Chris Oakes.
That same evening at Rosecroft, Iron Mine Krystal (Art Stafford, Jr.) kicked off the early, non-betting portion of the card by taking the $4000 Maryland Sire Stakes prelim for two-year-old filly trotters in 2:00 for trainer Greg Haverstick. The juvenile daughter of Four Starz Robro now owns a 4-2-1 slate and $27,000 bankroll from seven starts this year and will be among the favorites for the final this coming Sunday.
One race later in a MDSS prelim for two-year-old colt pacers, Lloyd's All In (Jared Moyer) overcame post six to gain command from Bo Breeze (Allan Davis) past the opener in 27.2, met pressure from stablemate Ronnies Rocket (Roger Plante, Jr.) down the backside and through the far turn then just prevailed over both foes for a nose victory in 1:56.2. The freshman son of Rusty's All In is trained by Arlene Cameron for owner-breeder Pamela Wagner and now owns a 3-2-2 slate and $19,500 banked from eight career outings.
Then one race later in the other MDSS split for two-year-old filly trotters, Gaagaa Gone (Russell Foster) kept her perfect record in tact when she gained command in a 29-second opener, maintained an honest tempo on the front end and held safe TV Sensation (Chris Offutt) for a length score in 1:59. A juvenile daughter of Googoo Gaagaa trained by Richard Hans for owner-breeder Corey Callahan, Gaagaa Gone remained perfect in six lifetime outings, pushed her earnings past $35,000 and lowered her lifetime mark by a full second in the process.
Then one race later in the second MDSS prelim for two-year-old colt pacers, Redline Rusty (Jonathan Roberts) displayed early speed and plenty of late grit as well when he benefited from a pocket trip behind Ocean Downs final hero Toms Tyrannosaurus (Stafford) and overhauled that one in the lane to score by just over a length over E-Z Pass B (Justin Vincent) in 1:54.4. A gelded son of Rusty's For Real trained by Michael Hall, Redline Rusty now owns a 5-1-3 slate and $22,000 banked from 13 seasonal starts and will seek to atone for an opening round setback to Allies Finale in the final.
One night later Iron Mine Bro (Stafford) kicked off the Sunday round of prelims with an emphatic 11-length score in 1:58.3 against freshman trotting colts. A juvenile son of Four Starz Robro trained by Haverstick, Iron Mine Bro recorded his first victory in seven lifetime tries, Miss Choptank (Victor Kirby) overcame a long, first over bid into a wicked back half to score in 1:55.1 against 2yo filly pacers, What That Is (Brian Burton) won the other split for freshman trotters and Hs Shauna (Roger Plante, Jr.) led throughout to prevail in the second MDSS split for filly pacers for trainer Steve LeBlanc.
In fact, in the opening race on the Saturday afternoon card at Yonkers, Jersey Jim (Jim Devaux) rallied from well off the pace and widest of all in the lane to capture the $225,000 New York Sire Stakes final for two-year-old pacing colts & geldings as an overlooked 12-1 shot in 1:54.3. A gelded son of Artiscape trained by Perry Simser for owners Robert & Gail Sanders of Illinois, Jersey Jim notched his fourth win from nine starts and nearly tripled his lifetime earnings toward $120,000 while handing 2-5 choice Hitman Hill (Brett Miller) his first setback in seven outings.
Then three races later in the $225,000 NYSS final for three-year-old filly pacers, Winbak Farm products Clear Idea (Mark Macdonald) and Tequila Monday (David Miller) finished second and third, respectively, as Obvious Blue Chip (Scott Zeron) led throughout to score as the 6-5 choice in 1:53.2. Clear Idea now owns a 9-8-2 slate and $325,000 banked from 20 starts this year for trainer Blake Macintosh, while Tequila Monday sports an 8-7-2 slate and $380,000 bankroll from 20 tries for trainer Chris Oakes.
That same evening at Rosecroft, Iron Mine Krystal (Art Stafford, Jr.) kicked off the early, non-betting portion of the card by taking the $4000 Maryland Sire Stakes prelim for two-year-old filly trotters in 2:00 for trainer Greg Haverstick. The juvenile daughter of Four Starz Robro now owns a 4-2-1 slate and $27,000 bankroll from seven starts this year and will be among the favorites for the final this coming Sunday.
One race later in a MDSS prelim for two-year-old colt pacers, Lloyd's All In (Jared Moyer) overcame post six to gain command from Bo Breeze (Allan Davis) past the opener in 27.2, met pressure from stablemate Ronnies Rocket (Roger Plante, Jr.) down the backside and through the far turn then just prevailed over both foes for a nose victory in 1:56.2. The freshman son of Rusty's All In is trained by Arlene Cameron for owner-breeder Pamela Wagner and now owns a 3-2-2 slate and $19,500 banked from eight career outings.
Then one race later in the other MDSS split for two-year-old filly trotters, Gaagaa Gone (Russell Foster) kept her perfect record in tact when she gained command in a 29-second opener, maintained an honest tempo on the front end and held safe TV Sensation (Chris Offutt) for a length score in 1:59. A juvenile daughter of Googoo Gaagaa trained by Richard Hans for owner-breeder Corey Callahan, Gaagaa Gone remained perfect in six lifetime outings, pushed her earnings past $35,000 and lowered her lifetime mark by a full second in the process.
Then one race later in the second MDSS prelim for two-year-old colt pacers, Redline Rusty (Jonathan Roberts) displayed early speed and plenty of late grit as well when he benefited from a pocket trip behind Ocean Downs final hero Toms Tyrannosaurus (Stafford) and overhauled that one in the lane to score by just over a length over E-Z Pass B (Justin Vincent) in 1:54.4. A gelded son of Rusty's For Real trained by Michael Hall, Redline Rusty now owns a 5-1-3 slate and $22,000 banked from 13 seasonal starts and will seek to atone for an opening round setback to Allies Finale in the final.
One night later Iron Mine Bro (Stafford) kicked off the Sunday round of prelims with an emphatic 11-length score in 1:58.3 against freshman trotting colts. A juvenile son of Four Starz Robro trained by Haverstick, Iron Mine Bro recorded his first victory in seven lifetime tries, Miss Choptank (Victor Kirby) overcame a long, first over bid into a wicked back half to score in 1:55.1 against 2yo filly pacers, What That Is (Brian Burton) won the other split for freshman trotters and Hs Shauna (Roger Plante, Jr.) led throughout to prevail in the second MDSS split for filly pacers for trainer Steve LeBlanc.
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