Yonkers, NY---Undefeated freshman divisional champion He’s Watching leads a list of 11 3-year-old colts/geldings into the 23rd edition of the Yonkers Raceway’s Art Rooney Pace.
The total purse of this season’s Rooney is $380,000, with a pair of $40,000 elimination races this Saturday night (May 24) leading to the as-guaranteed $300,000 final a week later (May 31).
The elims go as races 9 and 11 on the 13-race card, with He’s Watching, ranked No. 4 in Hoof Beats' Comprehensive pacing Predictive Rankings, making his seasonal pari-mutuel debut from post position No. 2 in the opening elimination. The first four finishers in each race qualify for the final.
The fields, with declared drivers:
1st elim (9th race)
1-Unlocked (Brent Holland)
2-He’s Watching (Jim Morrill Jr.)
3-Forty Five Red (George Brennan)
4-Gold Rocks (Scott Zeron)
5-Bondi Hanover (Zeron also listed)
6-Stevensville (Tim Tetrick).
2nd elim (11th race)
1-Ideal Fashion (Brian Sears)
2-Some Playa (Sears also listed)
3-All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) (Sire: Bettor's Delight)
4-Thereisapaceforus (Jason Bartlett)
5-Maxi Bon (Zeron).
Note Some Playa and Thereisapaceforus are geldings.
“He’s right where I want him to be,” He’s Watching’s co-owner/trainer Dave Menary said. “Both of his (Mohawk) qualifiers were tremendous. Last week (Friday), the weather was cool and windy, and we couldn’t have asked for any more (1:52.1).
“We’re looking forward to coming back (Yonkers). He loves the track (3-for-3 in 2013, including a season-ending New York Sire Stakes championship), and we’re anxious to have him start the season.”
The son of American Ideal is 8-for-8 in his career (13-for-13 including qualifiers), having earned $291,722 as a freshman.
The $124,744 final of the Lismore Pace for 3-year-old filly pacers also goes the final night of May. This Saturday offers two, $20,000, five-to-pare-down-to-four eliminations races (with declared drivers) as such:
1st elim (4th race)
1-It Was Fascination (Zeron)
2-Bettor Business (Dan Dube)(Sire: Bettor's Delight)
3-A Little Starstruk (Bartlett)
4-Southwind Silence (Kakaley)
5-Palm Beach (Bartlett also listed)
2nd elim (6th race)
1-Also Encouraging (Sears)
2-Tyra (Tetrick)
3-JK Molly (Brennan)
4-Gentlemen’s Delight (Dube) (Sire: Bettor's Delight)
5-Rusty’s Bliss (Sears also listed).
The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule continues, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 p.m. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily.