YONKERS, NY, Friday, August 17, 2012--Yonkers Raceway's usual Friday night pair
of $44,000 Open Handicaps--for trotters and distaff pacers, respectively--were
won by a first-over And Heez Perfect (Mark MacDonald, $16.80) and a
from-the-back-of-the-bus Rock N Soul (Jason Bartlett, $4.60).
Pole-sitting And Heez Perfect eased from third to go after the leader, 8-5
favorite Big Sky Storm (Jordan Stratton). That one worked around Speed Bomb
(Bartlett), then threw down intervals of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26.1.
Unfortunately, Big Sky Storm--with a length lead turning for home—jumped it
off. And Heez Perfect. who may have been going by anyway, did so by a
half-length in 1:55.2. Big Sky Storm wound up crossing the line second, but was
set down to for last his transgression. That moved up Bastille (Cat
Manzi), Blacktuxwhitesocks (Trond Smedshammer), Speed Bomb and KLM Express (Jim
Marshall III) one place each on the earnings ladder.
For And Heez Perfect, a homebred 6-year-old Andover Hall gelding owned by
Mitchell Walker and trained by Robert Baggitt Jr., he prevailed as the fourth
choice for this fourth win in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $176.50, the
triple returned $877 and the superfecta paid $5,244.
Rock N Soul, the 13-10 choice, unhurried
from post No. 5, was content to watch the early fray...and fray there was.
First, Keeper's Destiny (MacDonald) made
the lead from her outside post just after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile.
She took over from Nite Games (Dan
Dube), then hooked up with the second move of Billmar Scooter (Eric Goodell)
before a a :55.2 intermission.
Down the backside, Keeper's Destiny tried to lose the ladies, but they found
her soon after a 1:23.3 three-quarters. Radar Contact (Stratton) was wide,
Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland) was wider and Rock N Soul was widest.
With all the foes in pursuit, "Keeper's" had the lead entering the
lane, However, her time in the fun zone was about to end, and the back markers
was going to decide it. Rock N Soul was able to get "Naughty" late,
winning by a head in 1:52.4.
Radar Contact saved the bottom of the ticket, with Keeper's Destiny and
Southwind Jazmin (Jeff Gregory) grabbing the small change.
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 $4.60 for her fourth
win in 20 '12 tries. The exacta paid $11.60, with the triple returning $54.
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.
