BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, May 5,
2012—Sea Venture (George Brennan), plagued by breaking problems of late, broke
again Saturday night. What he broke was a Yonkers Raceway track record in
winning the $33,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Leaving from post position No. 3, he watched as Whackamole Hanover (Brent
Holland) played leapfrog on the lead with River Shark (catch-driver Cat Manzi).
The former retook from the latter after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile and before
a :55.3 intermission.
Sea Venture was out and moving from fourth, grabbing the lead before a 1:22.4
three-quarters (:27.1 third quarter). He opened 2½ lengths turning for home,
then hit wire 3½ lengths ahead of the gang in 1:51. That mile matched the
fastest local effort of the season and set a track record for 4-year-old
geldings. The early combatants, "Whackamole" and River Shark, held
for second and third, respectively, with tepid 5-2 favorite Samandar (Jordan
Stratton) and Code Word (Jason Bartlett) rounding out the payees.
For Sea Venture, a son of Western Terror co-owned by (trainer) Lou Pena and
Racing Team of America, he returned $8.20 (second choice) for his fourth win in
14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $41.60, with the triple returning $220.50.
The Raceway's five-night-per-week (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday)
live schedule continues. First post for all programs remains at 7:10 PM.
Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting
available around the NYRA schedule.
