Yonkers: Zero Tolerance, Brooklyn Lilacs take NYSS events

New York Sire Stakes continued downstate Tuesday night (May 14), with Yonkers Raceway hosting the soggy $170,500 Art Watson Pace for 3-year-old fillies.

Two consecutively-contested divisions, at $85,250 each, comprised the event.

Odd-on Zero Tolerance (Dave Miller, $2.40) widened in the first division. From post position No. 4, she crawled to the half (28 2/5, 59 2/5), then rebuffed a hard challenge from Meghan Lynn (Joe Bongiorno) and finished it off (1:27 1/5, 1:55 2/5).

Zero Tolerance whipped a loosely-pocketed So Awesome (Tim Tetrick) by 2-1/2 lengths, with DD Delicious (Matt Kakaley) third and Crazy Cute (catch-driver Scott Zeron) fourth.

For Zero Tolerance, a daughter of Heston Blue Chip co-owned by Val D’or Farms & Ted Gewertz and trained by Joe Holloway, it was her first win in two seasonal starts (7-for-13, $485,813 as 2-year-old). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $4.80, the triple returned $32.80 and the superfecta paid $177.50.

“She was good and strong. I liked the way she raced,” Miller said.

The second sire stakes event saw a perfectly-towed Brooklyn Lilacs (Bongiorno, $65) edge past the lass who took her into the fray, Hurrikane Norakane (Dan Dube).

The latter went up and over just-over-even-money choice JK American Beauty (Zeron) after that the one led through intervals of 28 2/5, 57 4/5 and 1:26 2/5.

When the leader tired (to fifth), she trapped last season’s frosh champ, Money Shot Hanover (Tetrick), in behind.

Hurrikane Norakane grabbed a short lead off the final turn, but ‘Lilacs’—from post No.. 4—was ready for her close-up. Brooklyn Lilacs went by late, the margin a neck in a life-best 1:55 2/5. Heaven’s Challenge (Miller) closed from third-over to grab third, with ‘Money Shot’ settling for fourth.

For sixth choice Brooklyn Lilacs, a homebred Rock N Roll Heaven miss owned by Crawford Farms and trained by Jennifer Bongiorno, it was her first win in three ’19 tries (1-for-7, $60,660 as 2-year-old). The exacta paid $466, the triple returned $4,466 and the superfecta paid $7,127.

“She’s a nice filly and I think she’s going to get better every start,” driver Bongiorno said.

New York Sire Stakes returns downstate Thursday night (June 20), with the Jim Meagher Pace for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

Total purses for the 2019 New York-bred program are estimated at $14 million. For more information, please visit www.nysirestakes.com.

Carryover coming Thursday

Nobody successfully selected all five winners in the Pick 5 on Tuesday night resulting in a carryover of $5,599.16 for Thursday's card. The pool will be guaranteed at $15,000 for the wager which starts in race 6.

-edited release (Frank Drucker for Yonkers)