Eligibles among New York champs’ battles

(BC) = Breeders Crown eligible

This Saturday, Sept. 28, Yonkers Racetrack holds the 24th edition of the New York Night of Champions. The $1.8-million program offers eight, $225,000 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) finals for two-and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits. In the mix are some Breeders Crown eligibles with a fine showing from a final the weight in the balance of going to the big show at Pocono in a few weeks.

In the two-year-old colt trot, Credit Fashion (BC-Credit Winner) is the lone eligible and a probable favorite. He has to battle multiple NYSS winner Flyhawk El Durado, who was in a dead heat for the win a week ag. We think the eligible will take it at a low payoff.

In the two-year-old filly trot final, a pair of Cash Hall products, Flyhawk Falina and Market Rally are the eligibles of eight going to post. But Maud Blue Chip could be the best here and rates the call, though another short price is guaranteed.

 

In the two-year-old filly pace there are six among the eight with tickets to Pocono. Sweetnsinful and  Supplemental Income, however, could take most of the win pool, so we can support Ali Blue (BC-American Idol), hopefully at a price better than the aforementioned pair.  

After losing her first nine starts this season, Bouncing Bax (BC-Credit Winner) has come back to win four straight, while Royal Malinda (BC-RC Royalty) comes off a winning effort at Batavia to be our top two choices in reverse order.  

The glamour-boy-trot final features a few familiar names. Four are eligible and we like Modest Prince (RC Royalty). He upset early this season and is more in his class among these state-breds. Non-eligible Tirade Hanover, a monster frosh that lost in a close final last year, comes here with four consecutive victories and could be part of the exotics.

The two-year-old colt pace features a definite favorite in the seven-for-seven sensation He’s Watching, who is coupled with Major Trick (BC-Art Major). Four other eligibles try to handle the Dave Menary-trained He’s Watching, now a world record-holder. No one connected to him expected the bargain-basement $3,000 yearling to turn into a pacing prince with 2013 earnings of $179,222 to date. Keying him to longshot eligible Twin B Speedo (BC-Art Major) could support a decent exacta but beware with the entry, the prices should be very low all around.

The soph-filly pace final offers defending champ Summertime Lea a chance to repeat, again at a short price. Social Scene (BC-American Ideal), the only eligible here,  set a track record for her division at Yonkers in mid-July and is our choice.

The glamour boy pacers finalize the program’s NYSS finals. This contest should come down to the sole pair of eligibles, Fool Me Once and defending champ Doctor Butch, both sons of Art Major. Fool Me Once is nine for 13 this season and “Butch” won the Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers in early June. With the most to gain, these two should wind up with top shares of the six-digit purse and make their ways to drop in the elims box at Pocono soon.

Follow major BC hopefuls on their road to the October Breeders Crown at Pocono Downs at the Breeders Crown Countdown blog and the TwinSpires harness blog weekly, with archived reports on the results at the Hambletonian Society web site.