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ate's glamour division made its second downstate appearance Monday night with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $217,252 New York Sire Stakes Bruce Hamilton Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings. Four divisions--at $54,313 each--went postward, with those established commodities doing nothing to ruin their standings in the community.

 

After Hay Goodllooking (Gates Brunet) and Handsome Harry (Jason Bartlett) won the non-wagering divisions, the sun went down and both My Last Laugh (Ray Schnittker) and OK Braveheart (Jordan Stratton) led their legions.

 

My Last Laugh found his way into the sire stakes win column, taking Monday night's third Hamilton division in down-the-road fashion. The Sealed N Delivered colt, leaving from post position two as the 13-10 favorite, led through uneventful intervals of :28.2, :57.3, and 1:25.4 en route to a life-best 1:54.1 effort. He defeated Art's Jimmy Ray (Stratton) by 2 1/4 lengths, with Diamond Stick Pin (Howard Okusko Jr.) third.

 

My Last Laugh, trained by Schnittker for co-owners Mathias Meinzinger and Jerry Silva, returned $4.60 for his second win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $42.60, with the triple returning $147.50.

 

OK Braveheart also went the wire-to-wire route, completing his odds-on work night in 1:54.4. Leaving from post four, he sailed through toll plazas of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:27, widening to three lengths in the lane. He whipped second choice Redneck Outlaw (Greg Grismore) by 1 1/4 lengths, with Major Indiscretion (Bartlett) some 11 lengths further back in third.

 

OK Braveheart, a son of Bettor's Delight trained by Chris Oakes for co-owners David Scharf, Rick Phillips and Chuck Pompey, returned $3.40 for his fifth victory in 17 '09 tries. The winner is now a six-figure performer in his first racing season. The exacta paid $5.80, with the triple returning $32.80.

 

Again, the early sire stakes events were won by: Hay Goodlooking (by Art Major); co-owners Deborah Brunet, Samuel Dotro, Thoedore Gewertz/trainer-drver Gates Brunet; 1:55.3/non-bettor; Handsome Harry (by Dream Away); co-owners Ralph Del Priore, Jr. and Harry Doyle/trainer.Mark Ford/driver Bartlett; 1:54.2/non-bettor.

 

Monday night's Sire Stakes races honored the memory of Bruce Hamilton, who was, without question, one of the most popular and productive individuals in the history of the statebred program. Bruce served as executive secretary of Harness Horse Breeders of New York State for 18 years, until losing his long and brave battle against cancer in May of 2003. He was 55.

 

Some of the state's harness movers and shakers--Bruce's brothers, Scott and Keith--along with Charlie Knauss, Peter Goold and Betty Holt--were on hand. (Yonkers)