Freshman trotters battle in NYSS Monday

The New York Sire Stakes circuit visits Yonkers Raceway for the first time in 2021 on Monday evening (June 28), as the oval plays host to the first harness racing leg for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Three divisions will go behind the gate in races one, two, and three, with the first and third splits going for a purse of $47,966, and the second for $47,066.

Many of the entrants haven’t made a pari-mutuel start yet so early in their careers, but Velvet Style, who will start from post two for driver Jason Bartlett in the first grouping, has. The Credit Winner colt, trained by Mark Ford for owners George and Rose Bonomo, won at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on June 21 in 1:59.4.

Wakanda, a colt from the first crop of Devious Man, comes into the second section with a win in his pocket as well, as he was victorious at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Monday, June 21 in 2:02.4. Trainer Dan Daley also drives Wakanda, who was bred in New York by Crawford Farms, for owners Ann-Mari Daley and JLRL LLC.

Nobody in the last flight has a pari-mutuel victory like those two, but Secret Rule, a Chapter Seven colt driven by Joe Bongiorno for trainer Jenn Bongiorno and owner Howard Taylor, won both of his baby races at New Jersey’s Gaitway Farm. Tanglewild Road (post six, Todd McCarthy/Nifty Norman) and Wouldyoulookatthat (post seven, Scott Zeron/George Ducharme) also won baby races at Magical Acres and Vernon Downs, respectively.

Before the pari-mutuel card gets underway at 7:15, there are two $15,000 non-wagering divisions of the New York Excelsior A Series and a single non-wagering $6,600 New York Excelsior B Series race. Those races begin at 6 p.m.

The full fields for the New York Sire Stakes races are as follows:

New York Sire Stakes Division #1 – Race 1

1-Grand Spa (Scott Zeron/Linda Toscano)

2-Velvet Style (Jason Bartlett/Mark Ford)

3-Valentine Express (Tim Tetrick/Jessica Okusko)

4-Snow Thunder (Yannick Gingras/Per Engblom)

5-Cooper Ridge (Alek Chartrand/Perry Simser)

6-Quincy Market (Corey Callahan/John Butenschoen)

7-T Rex Blue Chip (Daniel Dube/Ron Coyne Jr.)

New York Sire Stakes Division #2 – Race 2

1-Distance Learning (Brian Sears/Marcus Melander)

2-Chapheart (Trond Smedshammer trains & drives)

3-Molotov Cocktail (Scott Zeron/Linda Toscano)

4-Castle House (Yannick Gingras/Per Engblom)

5-Wakanda (Dan Daley trains & drives)

6-Justice (Ake Svanstedt trains & drives)

New York Sire Stakes Division #3 – Race 3

1-Grey Clouds (Dan Daley trains & drives)

2-Barn Bully (Jeff Gregory/Steven Pratt)

3-Jackson Steinem (Brian Sears/Marcus Melander)

4-Secret Rule (Joe Bongiorno/Jenn Bongiorno)

5-Cool Papa Bell (Tim Tetrick/Jim Campbell)

6-Tanglewild Road (Todd McCarthy/Nifty Norman)

7-Wouldyoulookatthat (Scott Zeron/George Ducharme)

For full race entries, click here.

From Yonkers Raceway