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Yonkers Raceway hosts Night of Champions

Yonkers Raceway hosts Night of Champions
Sunday, September 27, 2015 - by Frank Drucker, Yonkers Raceway Publicity Director

Yonkers, NY---Yonkers Raceway Saturday night hosted New York Night of Champions (Part II), featuring four, $225,000 sire stakes finals for 2-year-olds. The NYSS events were each again sponsored by a prominent Empire breeding farm.

Allerage Farm Colt/Gelding Trot - After a perfect (7-for-7) summer, 3-10 favorite Dayson (Jeff Gregory) "chose" the fall to have his first fall. He jumped it off leaving the gate, caught the field, then broke again.

Mike Lizzi photo

Allerage Echo scored in a lifetime best 1:57.2.
That left the aptly-named Allerage Echo (Brian Sears, $11.80) with a lonesome lead, and he did the rest. Starting from post position No. 3, he traversed the terrain (:29, :58.3, 1:28, 1:57.2) in a life-best effort.

Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley) closed well for second, beaten 2� lengths, with Reve Royale (Jason Bartlett) third. That one was a stablemate of the winner, but raced uncoupled (bona fide separate ownership).

For third choice Allerage Echo, a Conway Hall gelding trained by George Ducharme for owner Ken Jacobs, it was his fifth win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $160, with the triple returning $833.

"It's his determination," Ducharme said. "He just tries every start, and the big track won't pick him up. He goes as fast on a half as he does on the mile.

"We're looking forward to next season."

Crawford Farms LLC Filly Trot - Nothing has been able to stick with Non Stick (Dan Dube, $6.60), who made in six wins in as many starts. From post No. 5, he wanted the lead (:28.4), then rated the rest to his satisfaction. (:58.4, 1:28.2, 1:58.2).

The final margin, over Dazzling Dollars (Trond Smedshammer), was 2� lengths, with Goosebump Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) a pocket third as part of the 13-10 favored entry. Dizzy Broad (Matt Kakaley), Goodebump Hanover's stablemate, was fourth, with Posterity (Charlie Norris) fifth.

For third choice Non Stick, a daughter of Lucky Chucky co-owned by (trainer) Ake Svanstedt and Little E LLC, it was her third win with Dube doing the honors. The exacta paid $47.80, the triple returned $144 and the superfecta paid $367.

"She does everything right," Dube said. "She wants to do it and she's just going to get better."

- They gave Dime A Dance (Kakaley, $6.20, part of three-headed entry) some pace to chase, and she did the rest.

From post No. 7, she saw an early scrum between 9-5 fave Time on My Hands (Bartlett), American Ivy (Sears) and track record-holder Soft Idea (Morrill Jr.). That trio forced the issue (:26.3, :55.3), with Dime A Dance slipping in fourth.

Mike Lizzi photo

Dime A Dance got her fourth straight win in the Winbak Farm Filly Pace in 1:54.1.
She engaged Soft Idea toward a 1:24.1 three-quarters, eventually whipping an inside-diving Time on My Hands by a length-and-a-half in 1:54.1. Soft Idea faded to third, beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

For second choice Dime A Dance (and partners), a daughter of Roll with Joe trained by Ron Burke for co-owners Blue Chip Bloodstock, Our Horse Cents and J&T Silva Stables, it was her fourth (consecutive) win in nine '15 tries. The exacta paid $16.60, with the triple returning $41.

"A sweetheart to drive," Kakaley said. "I loved the speed duel in front of me, and she took over from there."

Genesee Valley Farm Colt/Gelding Pace - As with Non Stick, odds-on Travel Playlist (Marcus Miller, $3.30) entered the exited the evening undefeated. Making short work his rivals from post No. 7, he stepped swiftly early, then won under wraps (:26.2, :55.4, 1:25.2, 1:54.3).

"Playlist" put away a second move from Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace winner Autotune Hanover (Tyler Buter) down the backside, widened to three lengths entering the lane before winning by 2 1/2 lengths. Fine Diamond (Kakaley) rallied well for bridesmaid honors as the 67-1 rank outsider, with Autotune Hanover holding third.

For Travel Playlist, a son of Art Major trained by Erv Miller for co-owners Blue Chip Bloodstock, Ronald Michelon, Taylor Made Stallions and Fred Hertrich III, he's now 5-for-5 to begin his career. The exacta paid $124.50, with the triple returning $250.

"I didn�t want to leave that hard just to get away third," Marcus Miller said. "He's just a smart colt. He allows me to race him when I need to and back it down when I can. I saw the fillies tire after some fast fractions in their race, but he felt very good."

Saturday night's pair of $48,000 Open Handicaps were won by...

--Pace, Take it Back Terry (George Brennan, $3.90) in 1:50.4;
--Trot, Melady's Monet (Bartlett, $2.70) in 1:55.2.

Special Saturday props to Limelight Beach (Brennan, $4.70), whose 1:50.1 flogging of the field in the $36,000 seventh-race pace matched the all-age (Crombie A, Forty Five Red) track record.

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