The Empire's annual caravan made its seasonal downstate harness racing debut Monday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $164,672 New York Sire Stakes Joe Goldstein Trot for 3-year-old fillies.
Not there's every a bad time to break a maiden, but going for $40,768 qualifies as a good time to do so.
Pylon-diving (from post position No. 2), rank outsider Young Bridge (Scott Young, $60.50) saved every inch of ground in the second statebred event, getting to the line a nose before Straight A Student (Mark MacDonald) in 1:58.3. Goosebump Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) was a pocketed third as the 11-10 favorite.
"I thought we had it won, but the stretch is long as I saw Mark (MacDonald, Straight A Student) coming on the far outside," Young said after his first local drive.
"We always though this filly had some talent, but she was very hot as a 2-year-old. We've taken our time with her, and it seems to have paid off."
Young Bride, a daughter of Lucky Chucky co-owned by Robert Young, Scott & Linda Worton and Premier & Associates Farm, she's now 1-for-4 this season and 1-for-8 in her brief career. The exacta paid $306.50, with the triple returning $915.
George Brennan doubled his sire stakes fun, 'getting the bob' in the $40.768 opening event with pole-sitter Lindylicious ($10.80) in a life-best 1:58.4. Dizzy Broad (Morrill) was second as the 9-5 favorite, with Dazzling Dollars (Trond Smedshammer) third.
For fourth choice Lindylicious, a Credit Winner miss co-owned by (trainer) Gilberto Garcia-Herrera and Donald & Barbara Arnstine, it was her second win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $36.40, with the triple returning $118.50.
Brennan was a pocketed winner in the $41,568 third NYSS grouping with Credit to Thelimit ($7.20), who picked off Canstopwontstop (Sears) by a length in 1:59.1. Zette Starlet (Smith) was a rallying third at 94-1, while 1-2 favorite Winning Princess (Morrill Jr.) jumped it off early.
For second choice Credit to Thelimit, a daughter of Credit Winner trained by Sam Schillaci for co-owners Peter Barbato, Matthew Bencic, Peter Bova and Jodi Schillaci, it was her first win in four '16 tries, The exacta paid $28, with the triple returning $531.
The evening's fastest was saved for the lastest, as last season's frosh divisional champ, Non Stick (Dan Dube, $2.70) handily won her soph debut. From post No. 5 in the $41,568 final NYSS event, the odds-on miss sailed through intervals of :29, :58.3; 1:27.3 and a life-best-matching 1:56.3.
She defeated Swinging Royalty (Chris Lems) by a length-and-a-half, with Fad Finance (Smedshammer) third.
For Non Stick, a Lucky Chucky lass co-owned by (trainer) Ake Svanstedt and Little E LLC, she ran her perfect resume to 7-for-7. The exacta paid $10.80, with the triple returning $34.20.
Frank Drucker