Yonkers: Freshman colts battle in opening Sire Stakes round
New York Sire Stakes continued downstate Tuesday night (June 26th), with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $158,000 Jim Meagher Pace for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Three consecutive divisions—worth $53,000, $52,000 and $53,000, respectively—comprised the event, which again honored the memory of the Raceway’s long-time corporate controller.
Tuesday was the first sire stakes event for the frosh, the majority of whom were making their purse debuts.
The opening division proved quite formful, as the two choices ‘ran’ 1-2. Odds-on World On Edge (Matt Kakaley, $3.80), from post position No. 2, took over passing a 28 4/5 opening quarter-mile, then finished it off from there (58 2/5, 1:28 3/5, 1:57 1/5).
He defeated KJ Leo (George Brennan) by a length-and-three-quarters, with 36-1 outsider Hurrikane Kingklee (Dan Dube), Covered Bridge (Brian Sears) and Starship Trooper (Tim Tetrick) grabbing the minors.
For World On Edge, a son of Roll with Joe co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Joe DiScala Jr., J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Adriano Sorella, it was his parimutuel debut. The exacta paid $7.60, the triple retuned $68 and the superfecta paid $297.
The evening’s second grouping was an unfair fight as Melodie’s Major (Tyler Buter, $7.60) tickled the teletimer in a event’s-fastest 1:55 3/5.
From post No. 5, he two-moved around Bean (Jason Bartlett) before a flat 30-second quarter, then gave nothing else a chance (59 2/5, 1:27 3/5 in between).
Melodie’s Major widened to four lengths in and out of the final turn, lost Bean—who eventually broke in the lane—then defeated slight 2-1 favorite Bicorne Hanover (Kakaley) by eight lengths. Third went to Jojo’s Place (Corey Callahan), recovering from a nasty break at the start, with slow-starting Jet Rock (Brian Sears) and Hestons Lucky Chip (Jordan Stratton) settling for the remainder.
For third choice Melodie’s Major, an Art Major colt owned by Martin Scharf and trained by Mark Ford, he was another making his career purse bow. The exacta paid $19.20, the triple retuned $63 and the superfecta paid $297.
“I didn’t even ask him,” Buter said. “I drove him twice in (Pocono) qualifiers and he impressed me.
“I think I’m going to stay with him.”
The evening’s final get-together saw Major Blake (Tim Tetrick, $5.90), from post No. 3, complete his appointed rounds (29, 58 4/5, 1:27 4/5, 1:56). The final margin was 2-1/2 lengths.
Jack Nation (Mark MacDonald) rallied for second, with Buddy Hill (Scott Zeron) third.
Shanghai Bobby (Bartlett), pocketed as the 3-5 choice, but apparently wasn’t crazy about it. He vacated passing three-quarters to challenge, was rebuffed and backpedaled to fourth. Blissful Road (Buter) was fifth.
For second choice Major Blake, a son Art Major co-owned by (trainer) Sam Schillaci, Matthew Bencic and Howard Berke, he, too, was another first starter. The exacta paid $50.50, the triple retuned $369.50 and the superfecta paid $454.
The next New York Sire Stakes visit is Tuesday’s (July 3rd) Hugh Grant Trot (2-year-old fillies, purse TBA).
-edited release (Frank Drucker for Yonkers Raceway)