YR - RADAR CONTACT, TALL COTTON WIN YONKERS' 46G FRIDAY CO-FEATURES

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

 

 YONKERS, NY, Friday, July 12, 2013--Yonkers Raceway's pair of soggy Friday night $46,000 co-features--a Open Pace for the ladies and an Open Handicap Trot for everyone--were won, respectively, by Radar Contact (Mark MacDonald, $19.40) and people's choice Tall Cotton (George Brennan, $3.70).

Radar Contact, from post position No. 2, was third early as Four Starz Roe (Jason Bartlett) sloshed her way to the lead (:26.1, :56.3). Pole-sitting Darena Hanover (Brennan) was pocketed and Keeper's Destiny (Jim Pantaleano) was first-up.

Radar Contact seemed destined for a life on the pylons, but slipped out when 1-2 favorite Handsoffmycookie (Brian Sears) gapped badly from second-over. It was "Roe's" race in and out of the 1:25.2 three-quarters, but the hooves were getting heavy.

She had a couple of lengths entering the lane, only to see company converge. Darena Hanover angled out, with Radar Contact wider and faster. That one prevailed by neck over "Darena" in 1:54.4. Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat Lachance), a fading Four Starz Roe and Brownsville Bomber (Dan Dube) grabbed the small change. "Cookie" was a never-involved sixth.

For fourth choice Radar Contact, a 5-year-old daughter of Don'tgetinmyway trained by Noel Daley for co-owners Charles Stillings & Dean Ehrgott, it was her third win in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $52.50, the triple returned $1,902 and the superfecta paid $4,681.

Tall Cotton, ready for his close-up from post No. 5, gave nothing a chance (:28.1, :58.3, 1:27.1, 1:55.4). He won as he pleased in what turned out to be a match-race with Mikey Hanover (Cat Manzi). The final margin was 2¼ lengths.

Melady's Monet (Jordan Stratton) was a best-of-the-rest third--beaten nearly 10 lengths--with Brando's Muscle Man (MacDonald) and Whata Winner (Jim Doherty) rounding out the payees.

For Tall Cotton, a 7-year-old  Revenue S gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Edwin Gold and Howard Taylor, he's now 4-for-12 this season. The exacta paid $17.80, with the triple returning $165.

After 63-1 Grounded (Brandon Simpson, $129.50) blew up the board in Thursday's finale--in a season's-high mutuel--52-1 Camphor Hanover (Manzi, $107.50) blew it up again in Friday's opener. "Camphor:" went up and over an odds-on (1-4 favorite) Late Flyin' N (Brennan), beating 64-1 Denyitotheend (Dube) by a length in a season's-best 1:53.

(Author's aside...no tote boards were actually harmed in the making of this story.)

The victress led season-high exotics of a $2,959 exacta and a $27,225 triple. The latter was a base $2 payoff, with the lone winning dollar ticket returning $13,612.50.

Saturday night, a pair of $25,000 eliminations for the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace for 2-year-old colts and geldings pare 15 down to eight for next week's $111,250 final.

                  

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.