Yonkers, NY --- The polls have closed and it’s officially Trump Nation.
The colt by that very same name proved quite the best Saturday night (May 26), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $300,000 Art Rooney Pace.
The 28th Rooney saw six 3-year-old colts and two geldings start, but seven ended up chasing in vain.
From post position four, Trump Nation (Jason Bartlett, $6.80) was forwardly-placed, as was Babes Dig Me (Brett Miller). The latter made the first lead, before the former played leapfrog. Trump Nation seized the day (night?) just after a :27.3 opening quarter-mile.
Trump Nation, who won the second of last week’s two elimination races, then rated a 29-second next subsection (:56.3 half), which would serve him well. Along came 3-5 favorite Springsteen (Brian Sears), first-up from fifth, and the race was underway in earnest. Kwik Talkin’ (George Brennan) slipped out to race second-over, but gapped badly.
Meanwhile, the leader and his ‘prompter’ rolled through a :26.4 third quarter (1:26.2), with the people’s preference packing it in readily. Trump Nation owned a 1-3/4 length lead in and out of the final turn. Babes Dig Me edged from the pocket, while Minnie Vinnie—the scourge of Iowa—had room after sitting third.
However, the Trumpster was up to the challenge, defeating Minnie Vinnie by 1-3/4 lengths s in 1:51.3…a life-best by a good number.
Babes Dig Me was clearly third, with 124-1 rank outsider Major Authority (Mark MacDonald) and Decoy (Dave Miller) rounding out the payees. Kwik Talkin’, Springsteen and Jimtastic (Eric Goodell) completed the order.
Decoy, the other elimination winner, had a no-chance trip after the open draw buried him behind the eight-ball.
For second choice Trump Nation, a statebred son of Betterthancheddar co-owned (as of this past Monday) by Evan Katz & Crawford Racing and trained (as of this past Monday) by Chris Oakes, it was his third win in four seasonal starts. The exacta paid $113.50, the triple returned $731 and the superfecta paid $6,643.
“I couldn’t have ask for the race to work out any better,” Bartlett said. “I was able to back down the half and pick it up when Springsteen came at me. I thought the two outside horses (Babes Dig Me and Decoy) had to leave, and when I saw Brett (Miller, Babes Dig Me), I let him go and retook.
“I have to say that (former trainer) Andrew (Harris) really did the right thing with him last season, wanting to race him from off the pace. He deserves a lot of credit.”
As does the chauffeur, who won his first Rooney Pace in his 11th try.
"It took me long enough,” Bartlett said.
If there isn’t talk about changing the name the Lismore to the Tetrick, perhaps there ought to be.
Driver Tim Tetrick has made the race his own personal playground, winning Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday night edition with the homebred Alexa’s Power ($3.70).
The $111,444 companion event to the Art Rooney Pace attracted eight 3-year-old lasses after one was given lovely parting gifts in last week’s lone elimination.
As for Alexa’s Power, she—from post position six—was away third, behind Pass Line Bluechip (Jason Bartlett) and Believe in Me (Brian Sears). Her position was secured after Python Blue Chip (George Brennan) and elim winner Jewels Forreal (Dan Dube) both made early breaks, the latter ending up racing inside the cones.
Pass Line Bluechip found a 28-second opening quarter-mile, before Alexa’s Power moved again. It took her just about a quarter-mile to wrest the lead, eventually doing so before a :56.2 intermission.
Checkered Past (Mark MacDonald), as the 69-1 bombardier, went first-up from fifth, not getting close to the leader and her 1:25.2 three-quarters. Alexa’s Power held a 1-1/2 length lead entering the lane, then held off her two pursuers. Pass Line Bluechip took her shot from the pocket as did Believe in Me from the three-hole.
The leader hung tough, however, Alexa’s Power won by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4. Pass Line Bluechip photoed Believe in Me for second, with a ground-saving Reign on Me (Brett Miller) and Solitary (Brent Holland) grabbing the minors.
Python Blue Chip, Checker Past and Jewels Forreal rounded out the order.
For Alexa’s Power, a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, owned by Jeff Snyder and trained by Jim Campbell, is was her third win in four seasonal starts. The exacta paid $8.40, the triple (three wagering choices in order) returned $29.4 and the superfecta paid $231.
Tetrick won this race for a fifth time, including Tyra’s stakes-record 1:52.1 four seasons ago.
For Alexa’s Power starting nose-to-gate was refreshing after second-tier getaways here in a division of the Reynolds Memorial and last week’s elimination race.
“I thought I’d end up second-over,” Tetrick said. “I wound up getting away third and from there, I wanted to put her on the lead. “Jordan (Stratton, last week’s driver) told me she was loaded then, so I had all the confidence in her. She dug in when she had to.
“It takes a special sort of filly to win the Lismore,” he said. “You need one that can handle an audible if the plan changes.”
It doesn’t hurt to have Tetrick calling the plays, either.
Saturday night’s $44,000 Open Handicaps were won by Theartofconfusion A (Miller, $40.80) and DW’s NY Yank (Brennan, $8.20), taking the pacing and trotting events in 1:51.1 and 1:54.3, respectively.
The evening’s last race resulted in the fastest local mile of the season, a 1:51 beat down by odds-on Bettor Memories (Bartlett, $3.20) in the $27,500 pacing finale.
The Raceway now goes AWOL for live racing and evening simulcasting until Friday (June 8). Afternoon simulcasting continues each day except Tuesday.