Morrill won thrice on the eight-race, $200,000 a pop
docket of NYSS finals for two- and three-year-olds of both
sexes and gaits. He bookended the program with the
undefeated See You At Peelers (two-year-old filly pace) and
the now twice-a-champ Hes Gorgeous (three-year-old colt and
gelding pace). He also catch-drove Some Girls (two-year-old
filly trot), who snapped Jezzy's perfect performance log.
"Peelers,"
getting stronger as the statebred season has progressed,
wired her outclassed foes by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:54.2,
matching the track record for this division. The 1-9
favourite ($2.20) whipped Eagle Kelly (George Brennan), with
Winbak Corazon (Phil Fluet) third.
For See You at Peelers, an 11-for-11 Bettors Delight miss
trained by Jimmy Takter for his wife, Christina, and John
and Jim Fielding of Toronto, Ont., she's now banked upwards
of $269,000.
"She has just outclassed the other fillies," Morrill
said. "I've left with her every start, and she's always had
something left."
Hes Gorgeous made it 17 wins in 23 career starts--and
those pair of NYSS titles--with a gutty effort. Looped
leaving by Joey the Czar (Jason Bartlett), then passed down
the backside by Jimmie Hanover (Brennan), a resurgent Hes
Gorgeous dove inside, prevailing by a neck over "Jimmie" in
1:53.2. "Joey" was third.
The 7-10 fave Hes Gorgeous ($3.40), a son of Art Major
owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano, has banked
more than $635,000 ($385,000 this season).
"He's a funny horse," Morrill said. "The talent is
obviously there, but sometimes I have to get it out of him.
That was a super mile tonight."
"As I'm, watching the race, I'm yelling at the TV,
'Jimmy, don't give up on him'," Toscano said. "It's an
honour to win the sire stakes two seasons in a row. The
horse deserves so much credit."
Morrill, who kept one 10-race win streak alive, ended
another as
Some Girls went by a no-excuse Jezzy (Ray Schnittker).
That one, off a minute-half in a gapped-out field, could not
stall her entrymate. Some Girls won by a length in 1:58.2
(new track standard), with Imageofasweetday (John Stark Jr.)
nearly eight lengths farther back in third.
For Some Girls (now eight-for-11), a Conway Hall lass
trained by Gates Brunet for himself, Jean Brunet of Ottawa,
Ont., Theodore Gewertz and Michael Rosenthal, her entry
returned the minimum $2.10 while seeing her first-season
bankroll go over $254,000.
"I wanted to see what would happen if we could sit on
Jezzy's back," Gates Brunet said. "She's been an
overachiever for us all season, but this is great."
Morrill's triple was undercarded by Jeff Gregory's
double. Gregory, driving for Purple Haze Stables and Team
Okusko (Jessica is trainer, Howie as able partner), won both
trotting colt/gelding events, with the frosh
Dejambro (track-record 1:57) before a successful
statebred defense with
Blacktuxwhitesocks in the soph colt event (1:56.3). Both
are Credit Winners colts.
Dejarmbro, the star of the 1-5 favoured entry, grinded
past a stubborn Surface Tension (Dan Daley), then held 32-1
shot Whitewater Rapids at bay by a neck. He returned $2.40
for his seventh win (sixth consecutive, all with Gregory) in
nine starts, with earnings of close to $212,000.
"I figure to have to come first-up," Gregory said. "He
went a big [:28.4] third quarter, but he's been a pro every
time I've driven him."
As for the 7-10 choice "Blacktux," a cheap (:59) half and
many early breakers made his night that much easier. He
defeated Shaq Is Back (Schnittker) by 3-1/2 lengths, with
Aruba Vacation (Fern Paquet Jr.) third. Blacktuxwhitesocks
($2.40) is now nine-for-15 this season, with earnings just
under $290,000.
"He's just a good horse to drive," Gregory said. "Always
fresh and ready to go"
Brennan, who earlier in the evening became the latest
driving member of the $100 million dollar career earnings
plateau, won the event for three-year-old trotting fillies
behind even-money
Tuesdays With Mom (1:56.3). Out in :57.2, "Mom" ($4.10)
opened 2-1/2 lengths in the lane before holding off Frosty
Flirt (Gregory) by three-quarters of a length.
The winner, 13-for-19 in her career, is up over $156,000
this season for owner/trainer/breeder Peter Arrigenna.
"I tried to get some separation, because I knew Jeff's
filly would be coming," Brennan said. "She was tired, but
she dug in."
Anndrovette (Bartlett), now five-for-five since she was
sold, won the finale for three-year-old pacing fillies in
1:53.4.
Already a local track record-holder, she left around 3-4
choice Galimony (Morrill), then whipped that one by a neck.
For Anndrovette, a daughter of Riverboat King co-owned by
(trainer) Mark Kesmodel, Joseph Davino and Jeffrey Bamond,
she returned $5.60 for her seventh win in 14 seasonal
starts. (earnings in excess of $309,000).
"I haven't driven too many fillies who can get around
Yonkers like this one," Bartlett said. "I was able to get a
soft [:29.2] second quarter, and that helped."
The biggest sire stakes surprise came in the two-year-old
pacing colt/gelding event, as 10-1
Townslight Hanover (Stephane Bouchard) sustained a wide
bid to snap Sir Ziggys Z Tam (Pat Lachance) late. "Townslight"
won by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:54.
Townslight Hanover ($23.60), a Bettors Delight gelding
owned by Ken Tucci and trained by Aaron Lambert, has won
three of his four starts after beginning zero-for-five. His
frosh fund is over $173,000.
"When I saw some quick fractions early [:26.3, :55.4], I
felt we had a shot," Bouichard said. "[Aaron] has done a
good job keeping him ready."
Owner and trainer have been down this road before,
teaming to win the 2008 wild-finish Yonkers Trot with
Napoleon.
Saturday night's $42,500 Open Handicap Pace was won by
Giddy Up Lucky (Eric Goodell, $8.50) in 1:52.3.
By the way, the total 13-race handle was a season-high
$1,406,546.