Harrington and Yonkers host Labor Day evening cards
While many Americans might insist on staying close to home for various gatherings on Labor Day Monday, standardbred fans will look to get away to a track or simulcast outlet in order to focus their attention on solid overnight cards being offered by Harrington Raceway in Delaware and Yonkers Raceway in New York on Monday.
Monday's opening race is a contentious, non-winners of $5001 last four starts class for older pacers in which over one-half of the seven starters has a legitimate chance to succeed. Laughing Matters (Art Stafford, Jr.) has the rail and drops into a level in which he posted his last victory on June 29. Millenium Wheel (Jason Lynch) has been facing similar and been consistent in defeat and will leave from post two with a good chance. Main A Dieu Too (Ross Wolfenden) gets some class relief after facing much tougher here and at Ocean Downs, while Hi Sir (Russell Foster) will look to circle rivals to prevail at a level where he previously scored.
One race later in a non-winners of $7501 last four starts class for older pacers, Don't Ya Know (George Dennis) drops back into a class in which he scored during the spring meet here and should be able to overtake All Stienam (Tony Morgan) for the early lead and control the tempo. Rock N' Roll Jet (Stafford) certainly posts an upset chance despite moving up in class. He raced bravely first over last week against lesser, but nearly overcame a 55.4 back half to score.
Two races later on the card in a non-winners of $51,501 lifetime class, a trio of horses with early speed will garner much of the support. Apollo Seelster (Allan Davis) returns off a modest layoff and sharp 1:54.3 qualifier and his most recent victory was against similar company at Dover Downs. Rock N Delight (Dennis) steps up from the non-winners of five races lifetime class into this event, while Zoeez Boy Henry (Jonathan Roberts) has won two straight against similar for trainer Frank Milby and boasts seven wins in 16 outings this season.
One race later on the card in a non-winners of $80,001 lifetime class for younger pacers, much of the focus will be on two horses. Letsmakeawish (Montrell Teague) has won three straight for trainer Kevin Switzer and five of his last seven outings. He was able to score in first over fashion last Monday in 1:54. But drawing two spots to his inside if Pronology Z Tam (Roberts) who has been second in each of his last two outings in this class. Pronology Z Tam has enough early speed to control the tempo and could prove tough to overhaul in the lane if her gets a breather by the half.
Then in the sixth race the $16,000 Open Handicap will take center stage at the midway point of the card. Ken Kam (Morgan) won last week's edition of the Open II in his first try over the track for trainer Ron Dixon, but gets the seven hole on Monday. Framed Art (Stafford) led throughout the win at this level two weeks ago, but then sat out last week and gets the dreaded eight hole for this event. Special T Rocks (Davis) draws the rail and has been knocking on the door at this level recently and won this event on closing night of the spring meet.
But three other pacers are going to garner some attention. Sb Mikes Hot Beach (Mike Rossi) has an abundance of early speed and will look to dictate the tempo throughout at a big price. Remember Me VK (Teague) won the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final for his age, gait and gender on Governor's Day and has faced serious competition in two open stakes since then and could be poised to tackle older. Race Me Villa (Victor Kirby) graduated from the lifetime conditioned ranks, tried the Open at Plain Ridge three times then returned to capture a conditioned event last week in 1:51.3, nearly a second faster than Ken Kam won the Open II.
Yonkers Raceway will also offer a solid card filled with overnight races on Labor Day Monday and several of the latter ones appear to be quite playable.
In the fifth, the first half of the split, non-winners of four races or $40,000 lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares, Fie Fy Fo (Mark MacDonald) draws the rail and should be able to either gain command or protect position on the first turn. She was a good second in this class in her local debut last Monday and should benefit from that experience. Lady Beth (Tyler Buter) was the beaten favorite from post eight last week in her arrival from Monticello and deserves a chance to rebound from the six slot.
One race later in the second half of that split condition, Heavens Legacy (Jason Bartlett) will look to regain her winning ways after a narrow setback last week at this level. The three-year-old daughter of Rock N' Roll Heaven carved out fast early fractions for the first three calls then was nailed late in a gritty try as the 2-1 second choice. Mac's Secure (Daniel Dube) sat a pocket trip behind that one last week and finished a solid third and draws the rail and should be able to leave and protect the two-hole again before the opening quarter and likely completes the exacta.
Then in the finale, a non-winners of six races or $60,000 lifetime class for three- and four-year-old pacing fillies, a trio of sophomores exit the Lady Maud. Cheyenne Robin (Dube) looks like the obvious play here having drawn the rail and also having been a sharp second at this level three starts back. Heaven On Earth also exits the Lady Maud and draws post two, but she was not backed with a lot of confidence at this level in her last two tries against similar. Strut My Stuff (Jordan Stratton) was third in the Lady Maud and was second in the Valley Forge at Pocono Downs prior to that and her previous outings against non-winners of six rivals here suggest she will be a serious player in the finale.
Monday's opening race is a contentious, non-winners of $5001 last four starts class for older pacers in which over one-half of the seven starters has a legitimate chance to succeed. Laughing Matters (Art Stafford, Jr.) has the rail and drops into a level in which he posted his last victory on June 29. Millenium Wheel (Jason Lynch) has been facing similar and been consistent in defeat and will leave from post two with a good chance. Main A Dieu Too (Ross Wolfenden) gets some class relief after facing much tougher here and at Ocean Downs, while Hi Sir (Russell Foster) will look to circle rivals to prevail at a level where he previously scored.
One race later in a non-winners of $7501 last four starts class for older pacers, Don't Ya Know (George Dennis) drops back into a class in which he scored during the spring meet here and should be able to overtake All Stienam (Tony Morgan) for the early lead and control the tempo. Rock N' Roll Jet (Stafford) certainly posts an upset chance despite moving up in class. He raced bravely first over last week against lesser, but nearly overcame a 55.4 back half to score.
Two races later on the card in a non-winners of $51,501 lifetime class, a trio of horses with early speed will garner much of the support. Apollo Seelster (Allan Davis) returns off a modest layoff and sharp 1:54.3 qualifier and his most recent victory was against similar company at Dover Downs. Rock N Delight (Dennis) steps up from the non-winners of five races lifetime class into this event, while Zoeez Boy Henry (Jonathan Roberts) has won two straight against similar for trainer Frank Milby and boasts seven wins in 16 outings this season.
One race later on the card in a non-winners of $80,001 lifetime class for younger pacers, much of the focus will be on two horses. Letsmakeawish (Montrell Teague) has won three straight for trainer Kevin Switzer and five of his last seven outings. He was able to score in first over fashion last Monday in 1:54. But drawing two spots to his inside if Pronology Z Tam (Roberts) who has been second in each of his last two outings in this class. Pronology Z Tam has enough early speed to control the tempo and could prove tough to overhaul in the lane if her gets a breather by the half.
Then in the sixth race the $16,000 Open Handicap will take center stage at the midway point of the card. Ken Kam (Morgan) won last week's edition of the Open II in his first try over the track for trainer Ron Dixon, but gets the seven hole on Monday. Framed Art (Stafford) led throughout the win at this level two weeks ago, but then sat out last week and gets the dreaded eight hole for this event. Special T Rocks (Davis) draws the rail and has been knocking on the door at this level recently and won this event on closing night of the spring meet.
But three other pacers are going to garner some attention. Sb Mikes Hot Beach (Mike Rossi) has an abundance of early speed and will look to dictate the tempo throughout at a big price. Remember Me VK (Teague) won the $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final for his age, gait and gender on Governor's Day and has faced serious competition in two open stakes since then and could be poised to tackle older. Race Me Villa (Victor Kirby) graduated from the lifetime conditioned ranks, tried the Open at Plain Ridge three times then returned to capture a conditioned event last week in 1:51.3, nearly a second faster than Ken Kam won the Open II.
Yonkers Raceway will also offer a solid card filled with overnight races on Labor Day Monday and several of the latter ones appear to be quite playable.
In the fifth, the first half of the split, non-winners of four races or $40,000 lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares, Fie Fy Fo (Mark MacDonald) draws the rail and should be able to either gain command or protect position on the first turn. She was a good second in this class in her local debut last Monday and should benefit from that experience. Lady Beth (Tyler Buter) was the beaten favorite from post eight last week in her arrival from Monticello and deserves a chance to rebound from the six slot.
One race later in the second half of that split condition, Heavens Legacy (Jason Bartlett) will look to regain her winning ways after a narrow setback last week at this level. The three-year-old daughter of Rock N' Roll Heaven carved out fast early fractions for the first three calls then was nailed late in a gritty try as the 2-1 second choice. Mac's Secure (Daniel Dube) sat a pocket trip behind that one last week and finished a solid third and draws the rail and should be able to leave and protect the two-hole again before the opening quarter and likely completes the exacta.
Then in the finale, a non-winners of six races or $60,000 lifetime class for three- and four-year-old pacing fillies, a trio of sophomores exit the Lady Maud. Cheyenne Robin (Dube) looks like the obvious play here having drawn the rail and also having been a sharp second at this level three starts back. Heaven On Earth also exits the Lady Maud and draws post two, but she was not backed with a lot of confidence at this level in her last two tries against similar. Strut My Stuff (Jordan Stratton) was third in the Lady Maud and was second in the Valley Forge at Pocono Downs prior to that and her previous outings against non-winners of six rivals here suggest she will be a serious player in the finale.
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