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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

YR - BARTLETT WINS FIVE YONKERS RACES TUESDAY NIGHT

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

YONKERS, NY, Tuesday, February 19, 2013--Jason Bartlett picked up where Brian Sears left off.

After Sears won 13 of Yonkers Raceway's previous two dozen races (with one dead-heat) over the previous two racing nights, it was Bartlett in the big chair.

Bartlett, obviously Scotchgarding his driving colors, won five races during a soggy Tuesday night. He began at the beginning, winning the $11,000 pacing opener Scottie C ($8.70) in 1:56.1. After a longshot breaker in the second race, Bartlett was a going-away winner (at 20-1) with Gracie's Boy ($42.20) in the $9,000, third-race pace (1:57.4).

He then lasted on the lead in the $9,000, fourth-race pace with Mr. Hollywood Starz ($16.60) in a maiden-breaking 1:59. Bartlett finished second with a fifth-race catch-drive, a bothered fourth in the sixth race and sat out the seventh before May Day ($7.30) went the distance in the $12,000, eighth-race pace (1:57).

Win No. 5 saw Bartlett and a long-gone Fiesty Flyer ($6.90) roll from the pole in the $13,000, 10th-race pace (1:56.4). Bartlett was up the track with an outsider in Race 11, then had the nerve to take the last event off.

Bartlett started the evening fourth in the local driver standings, behind Sears, Matt Kakaley and George Brennan.

The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule continues, 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.