Yonkers Harness Racing: Blue Jean, 'Something' Want The Money

52 money finishes in 103 career outings has certainly paid dividends for eight-year-old Falcon Seelster gelding Falcon’s Blue Jean, who will look to surpass $300,000 in lifetime bankroll versus another potential milestone setter at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday night.
The well-known pacer from owners Fred and Anita Fialkow headlines an undercarded handicap for winners of over $8,000 in their last six starts after winning his easier assignment seven days ago.

Falcon’s Blue Jean draws post five with usual pilot Mark Beckwith in this seven-horse contest, offering a purse of $12,000. The loveable veteran trained by Julius Czermann Jr. has overcome a strange heartbeat irregularity to win nine of 34 seasonal appearances, including his head victory over Fox Valley Kincade last weekend. ‘Jean’ sits on $295,450 in lifetime earnings, helped by solid performances at Yonkers and the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Standforsomething, a five-year-old stallion by Stand Forever, is also looking to cross the $200,000 beam for trainer Mark Ford. Owned by well-regarded Martin Scharf, the Kentucky-bred hauls $196,335 with 16 victories in 90 lifetime outs. Standforsomething has won four times in 30 seasonal tries, an excellent third-place finisher to Perfect Host on the $12,000 handicap stage last weekend. Stephane Bouchard, driver in his two latest appearances, tries again from post position six after previously working from post eight.

The remaining horses have solid backgrounds. Carl Tirella-instructed Surf City USA (post four, Rene Poulin) ran a weakening fifth to Talon Seelster in last Saturday’s open handicap, but this resulted from the :55 4/5 half-mile registered by ‘Talon’ and Chewy Gross. Surf has won five of 30 calendar starts for owner David Miles. Bj’s Tsunami (post three, Michael Sorentino Jr.) is a front-runner who won back-to-back events at $9,000 and $12,000 in August, starting outside Will Strut (post one, Marcus Johansson) and upset specialist Champlain (post two, Jeff Gregory). Skeeter Todd (post seven) will be driven by Ray Schnittker for training colleague Paul Doherty. The aforementioned $12,000 will be up for grabs in race seven.

Atop the weekend program is a $15,000 open handicap pace, rematching Talon Seelster and Chewy Gross. ‘Talon,’ a four-year-old Cam’s Card Shark gelding trained by Tim Case, outlasted ‘Chewy’ through a :55 4/5 half and 1:25 1/5 third-quarter clocking to win last week’s open cap sub-feature. He draws post five with Greg Merton replacing Joe Pavia Jr. in the bike. Chewy Gross, who tied the Plainridge track record (1:49 3/5) three weeks ago, fills outside post seven with Stephane Bouchard. Sempre Pronto (post two, Marcus Johansson) comes off a three-week rest. The remaining quartet are Step Back (post one, Michael Sorentino Jr.), Our Galvinator A (post three, Jim Marshall III), Perfect Host (post four, Steven Brown), and Chad Lefleur (post six, Jeff Gregory). This event has been returned to its original home, race eight, after occupying race three on last week’s New York Night of Champions program.

All nine Saturday events are for pacers at one mile and a sixteenth. Yonkers Raceway continues a four-day live week, with programs on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.