A select field of six will go behind the starting gate in the $100,000 Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace this Saturday night, July 14, at Yonkers Raceway in its premier event for two-year-old colts and geldings.
New York-bred World On Edge with George Brennan driving from post five heads the sextet of freshmen pacers in the Sheppard. The son of Roll with Joe is co-owned trainer Ron Burke (Burke Racing), Joe DiScala Jr., J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Adriano Sorella. The $50,000 Harrisburg sale purchase made a successful purse debut here, winning his $53,000 division of the New York Sire Stakes late last month in wire to wire fashion, timed in 1:57.1. Co-owner DiScala is the owner of local Peppino’s Ristorante (http://www.peppinosristorante.com/) in Katonah, New York, and hopes to be celebrating there on Saturday night. DiScala also co-owns last year’s Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover, one of this year’s top four-year-old pacers and already a five-time winner.
Yonkers again paying homage to the Hall of Fame founder of Hanover Shoe Farms. The race began in 1964, with iconic Bret Hanover its first winner. It continued, sometimes as a split stake, through 2003, before being resurrected in 2012.
This season’s Sheppard goes as the sixth race during the dozen-race card, with first post at the usual 6:50 PM.
Hurrikane Kingklee drew the rail with Dan Dube in the bike. The Art
Major colt has been third in both his New York Sire Stakes attempts for trainer John McDermott and co-owners Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhen Racing and George Vierno.
Just Plain Loco (Jim Marohn Jr., post three) was a 14-1 upsetter in his first race for money, a 1:54 effort at the Meadowlands. The gelded son of Well Said is co-owned by (trainer) Tom Fanning and Paul Lang.
“He’s a small horse—maybe the smallest I’ve ever trained—but doesn’t know it,” Fanning said. “He’s athletic and handy and should move forward off that start.”
Treasure Tom (Jason Bartlett, post 4), a Mach Three gelding—the other in the field—enters the Sheppard off a pair of Pocono qualifiers…both with Bartlett driving.
Hickfromfrenchlick (Mark MacDonald, post two) was a blowout winner in the $11,000 division of Goshen’s Landmark Stakes (1:57.3, back half :56.3). The statebred son of So Surreal is co-owned by (trainer) Ray Schnittker, Nolamaura Racing and Thomas Spatorico.
Can We Dancer (Greg Merton, post six), trained by Nancy Johansson, is another making his first purse try. The son of A Rocknroll Dance is a half-brother to Sweet Rock, a career earner of more than $611,000.