Yonkers: Brooklyn Lilacs, Chase You claim New York Sire Stakes victories

On Friday evening (June 28th) Yonkers Raceway hosted the $167,500 New York Sire Stakes Mike Cohen Pace for 3-year-old fillies. As was the case the previous night, a pair of $83,750 races comprised the event, with this one honoring the memory of the former publicity director at the Raceway as well as NBC Sports.

The opening division saw Prescient Beauty (George Brennan) lay down the gauntlet, then just lay down. The 8-5 pole-sitting favorite retook in the second turn from Hurrikane Norakane (Dan Dube) in between a 26 4/5 opening quarter-mile and a 54 4/5 intermission.

Prescient Beauty was done in and out of a 1:23 1/5 three-quarters as the cavalry rolled over her. From post position five, Brooklyn Lilacs (Joe Bongiorno, $50) stacked widest and closed fastest, tagging So Awesome (Tyler Buter) nearing the wire in a life-best 1:52 2/5. Third went to JK American Beauty (Jordan Stratton), with Crazy Cute (Jim Morrill Jr.) fourth. Meanwhile, Prescient Beauty wound up last among the seven lasses, beaten more than 16 lengths.

For sixth choice Brooklyn Lilacs, a homebred daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven owned by Crawford Farms Racing and trained by Jennifer Bongiorno, it was her second win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $329.50, the triple returned $1,670, and the superfecta paid $8,185.

”I was going to race her from behind, coming off the break in her last start (Buffalo),” driver Bongiorno said. “I was glad to see Danny (Dube) leave and mix it up. They were going very fast, especially for 3-year-old fillies, and when I moved mine wide, she just exploded.”

The evening’s second state-sired event saw odds-on Excelsior A Series refugee Chase You (Brennan, $3.20) step up to the adult table, win the draw and hold off Meghan Lynn (Bongiorno) in a glorified match race. The margin was a neck in 1:53 2/5, by far a life-best effort. Money Shot Hanover (Buter) and Heaven’s Challenge (Morrill Jr.) wound up third and fourth, respectively.

For Chase You, a homebred American Ideal miss owned by Ted Cupp and trained by Michelle Crawford, it was her seventh win in 11 ’19 tries. The exacta paid $11.40, the triple returned $55.50, and the superfecta (four wagering choices in order) paid $142.50.

“She’s just a pro, she really is,” Brennan said. “I was able to rate the fractions (28 4/5, 57 2/5, and 1:25) and she dug in.”

--press release (Yonkers)--