YR - MM'S LUCKY BOY, ROCK N SOUL WIN FRIDAY NIGHT 44G CO-FEATURES

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

 YONKERS, NY, Friday, June 22, 2012—Yonkers Raceway, undaunted by intermittent showers, persevered with a pair of $44,000 Friday night $44,000 co-features.

 The weekly Open Handicap Trot was won by MM's Lucky Boy (Brent Holland), zipping around the "good" oval in  1:54.2. That effort was a tick shy of the week-old, all-age track record by Blacktuxwhitesocks.

 Leaving from post position No. 3 (in one slot after a defection), MM's Lucky Boy left into a two-hole behind longshot Sun of a Victory (Jim Pantaleano). That quickly become a three-hole when Fox Valley Iliad (Larry Stalbaum) two-moved from third, taking over after a :28.2 opening quarter mile.

 Another :28.2 weigh station (:56.4 half) ensued before MM's Lucky Boy was out again. He advanced before the 1:25.1 three-quarters, gradually taking aim at the leader. He tagged him mid-stretch, then edged away by a  length-and-a-quarter. Blacktuxwhitesocks (Jordan Stratton), given way too much work to do this week, rallied for second with Fox Valley Iliad, Tober (Cat Manzi) and Looking Hanover (Mark MacDonald) rounding out the payees.

 For MM's Lucky Boy, a 5-year-old Malabar Millennium gelding trained by Erv Miller for himself, along with David and John Prushnok, he returned $12.60 (fourth choice) for his fourth win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $38.20, the triple returned $221.50 and the superfecta paid $596.

 The Filly and Mare Pace was won by Rock N Soul (Stratton) in snappy, two-move effort. Assigned post No. 5, she was on the move at the outset, as were several others.

Rock N Soul settled third as a double-parked Lightning Treasure (Stalbaum) worked around 1-2 fave Feeling You (Eric Goodell) after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile.

After a 56-second intermission, Rock N Soul went up and over Lightning Treasure, opening up some nighttime daylight before a 1:23.2 three-quarters. She widened to three lengths turning for home and never threatened, winning by 2¼ lengths in a season's-best 1:52.2.  Feeling You, trapped until the issue was over, did grab second, with Naughtytiltheend (Holland), Lightning Treasure and Fox Valley Sage (Manzi) completing the cashers. 

For Rock N Soul, a 5-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Howard Taylor and Frank Baldachino, she returned $21.40 (fifth choice) for her third win in 15 '12 tries. The exacta paid $61.50, with the triple returning $387.

The Raceway continues its normal five-night-per-week live schedule, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule.