Posts drawn for big day at Yonkers

YONKERS, NY, Monday, October 9, 2017 – Post positions have been drawn for 10 of the 11 races comprising the richest day ever in New York harness racing, Yonkers Raceway's $3.3 million all-stakes extravaganza this Saturday afternoon (Oct. 14th).

(Note that the million-dollar Yonkers International Trot @ Empire City Casino shall be drawn Tuesday afternoon [Oct. 10th] at a midtown Manhattan press luncheon).

Here's a hot-off-the-presses look at the $1.8 million New York Day of Champions and the pair of $250,000 Invitationals (sire stakes finals @ $225,000 each, invites @ $250,000 each).

No.-Race (post time)…

1st-NYSS Genesee Valley Farm 2YO Colt/Gelding Pace (post time 1 PM) – Hitman Hill (Brett Miller) just keeps winning, as in 6-for-6 ($146,533) and the draw for the final. If the 'Hitman' is to falter, it's probably at the hooves of Casual Cool (Jason Bartlett), Jersey Jim (Jim Devaux, post 4), Topville Olympian (Yannick Gingras, post 6) or Paprike Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr. post 8). That quartet has combined for 16 wins and more than $440,000 this season.

2nd-NYSS Winbak Farm 2YO Filly Pace (post time 1:20 PM) – Division leader Hurrikane Shorty (Bartlett, post 6) hasn't done much wrong, as evidenced by four wins and three seconds in eight tries ($123,915). As with Hitman Hill, she won both of her local tries. Alexis Faith (Morrill Jr., post 7) had a win and a second here including in her 8-for-8 board resume (5 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, $116,310). Azreal as It Gets (Jim Marohn Jr., post 3) won her last two sire stakes starts.

3rd-NYSS Crawford Farm 2YO Filly Trot (post time 1:40 PM) – Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt, post 3) matched Hitman Hill's perfect half-dozen this season ($108,433). Along the way, she set a local track record (1:56.2), winning by nearly 10 lengths. Svanstedt also trains Natalie Blue Chip (Dan Dube, post 4) and Lucky Ava (Gingras, post 5). He does not, however, train formidable pole-sitter Supergirl Riley (Marcus Miller).

4th-NYSS Cameo Hills Farm 3YO Filly Pace (post time 2 PM) – If last season's frosh femme champion (via DQ) Tequila Monday (Dave Miller) is going to defend her title, she's going to have to overcome the eight-hole to do it. For the season, she's won 8-of-19 races ($352,517), including the $140,700 Lismore here. Clear Idea (Mark MacDonald) did her rival one better, going 9-for-19 ($266,601). Obvious Blue Chip (Scott Zeron, post 2) was second and third, respectively, in her elim and final of the Jugette.

5th-NYSS Harness Horse Breeders of NYS 2YO Colt/Gelding Trot (post time 2:20 PM) – Clive Bigsby (Bartlett, post 3) wound up in points 'dead-heat' with the AWOL Fourth Dimension. 'Clive' won five of his eight seasonal starts with a pair of seconds ($95,530). Ronnie Goldstein (Kim Crawford, post 4), Purpose Blue Chip (Dan Daley, post 6) and Six Pack (Svanstedt, post 7) all have won here this summer.

6th-NYSS Blue Chip Farms 3YO Colt/Gelding Pace (post time 2:40 PM) – The champ from 2016, Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan, post 4), has put together another fine season in '17's glamour division, with four wins and 11 board finishes in 14 starts ($441,442). Cultural Paradise (Brian Sears, post 5), Outkast Blue Chip (Morrill Jr., post 6) and Pointomygranson (Zeron, post 8) each socked away six figures this season.

7th-Dan Rooney Invitational Pace (post time 3 PM) – From the inside out, there's the Canadian Pacing Derby winner, Sintra (Jody Jamieson, post 1), the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series winner, Keystone Velocity (Dube, post 3), the Hoosier Park Pacing Derby winner, All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley), plus this season's Quillen Memorial and last season's Levy winner, Bit of a Legend N (Jordan Stratton, post 6). No slouches in this octet, with five having reached at least career seven-figure social status

8th-Harry Harvey Invitational Trot (post time 3:30 PM) – Going the mile-and-quarter make very well even out the landscape. Homicide Hunter (Brett Miller, post 10) is of two beginning from the back of the bus. He and the other second-tier number, Cash Me Out (Eric Goodell, post 9) both have 30 career victories. The only time Dia Monde (Brennan, post 6) visited, he matched track record for his 4-year-old gelding weight class (1:54.2). Throw a trio of French Canadian-trained entities in Charmed Life (Sears, post 2), Lookslikeachpndale (Dube, post 4) and Musical Rhythm (MacDonald, post 8) into the mix, and this race is quite puzzling.

9-$1 million Yonkers International Trot @ Empire City Casino (post time 4 PM) – 10 horses at the mile-and-a-quarter to be drawn Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 10th)

10-NYSS Morrisville Coll. Equine Inst. 3YO Colt/Gelding Trot (post time 4:30 PM) – Yonkers Tort winner Top Flight Angel (Andy Miller, post 7) renews his rivalry with Guardian Angel AS (Bartlett, post 1). Between them, it's a dozen wins and just under $600,000. Swell Chap (Sears, post 3) was an under-the-radar points leader with six wins and a dozen board finishes in 14 tries ($179,138).

11-NYSS Allerage Farm 3YO Filly Trot (post time 5 PM) – Frosh phenom 'beastly' Barn Bella (Jeff Gregory, post 3) eyes a statebred repeat, bringing a 17-for-23 career resume ($576,225) into this race. This season, she's 11-for-14 (364,414) Her main rival starts right inside in the 'person' of Hudson Filly champ Celebrity Ruth (Bartlett, post 3). Unraced at 2, she's been first of second in all but one of 14 '17 tries ($359,113).

Frank Drucker