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Yonkers, NY --- Conducted for the first time in the afternoon, the first time alongside Yonkers International Trot at Empire City Casino and the first time out of a local detention barn, Yonkers Raceway’s $1.8 New York Day of Champions Saturday afternoon hosted $225,000 sire stakes finals…

       

Crawford Farm 2-Year-Old Filly Trot – Ake Svanstedt trained half the field here, including 1-4 choice Plunge Blue Chip. Unfortunately, that local track record-holder who entered 6-for-6 picked a bad day to have a bad day.

Badly gapping her cover, that filly plummeted to seventh, as her uncoupled stablemates---21-1 Lucky Ava (Gingras, $45) and pace-sitting 64-1 Fury Road (Andrew McCarthy) finished 1-2. Fury Road launched herself from an eight-hole (:28.1; 58.1; 1:27.3), opening 2-1/4 lengths in the lane.

A third-over—from post five— Lucky Ava stormed home, winning by a half-length in a life-best 1:58.2. Lucky Rainbow (Dave Miller) rallied inside for third at 79-1, with 55-1 Natalie Hanover (Dube) and Lima Novelty (Bartlett) rounding out the payees. Second choice Supergirl Riley (Marcus Miller) broke before the start.

Fourth choice Lucky Ava, a daughter of Lucky Chucky co-owned by Svanstedt, Little E LLC and Van Camp Trotting, has won five of her nine first-season tries. The gimmicks--$1,088 exacta, $1,149 triple (first two finishers and ALL), $32,824 superfecta (first three finishers and ALL, base $2 payout),

 

Genesee Valley Farm 2-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pace - Hitman Hill (Brett Miller) came in a perfect 6-for-6. He left quite imperfect. The 2-5 pole-sitter led to the lane (:27.1, 57., 1:25.1), but spit it up in the lane.

Jersey Jim (Jim Devaux, $26.80), from post four, buried fourth at the cones at the half, extricated him to roar home from last-over. He defeated Paprike Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr.) by half-length in 1:54.3. Topville Olympian (Gingras), done no favors when the favorite quit, did get third, with Casual Cool (Bartlett) and My Delight (Dave Miller) earning the minor moolah. Hitman Hill faded to six among the seven.

Fifth choice Jersey Jim, an Artiscape gelding co-owned by Robert & Gail Sanders and trained by Perry Simser, is 4-or-9 this season. The gimmicks--$160.50 exacta, $1,082 triple.