BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Friday, August 9, 2013--Yonkers Raceway's Friday night $46,000 co-featured
Open
Handicaps--Pace
for the fairer sex and Trot for anyone worthy--were won by a first-up Ramalama
(George Brennan, $7.40) and a down-the-road DW's NY Yank (Brennan again, $4).
The femme field--pared to seven after last week's bridesmaid, Cocoa Beach, came
down with the sniffles--saw 3-2 choice Four Starz Roe (Jason Bartlett) have to
work a bit to get around pole-assigned longshot Rockaround Sue (Mark
MacDonald). "Roe" did, before a 27-second opening quarter-mile.
At that point, Handsoffmycookie (Dan Dube) looked to move from third, but she
didn't get the memo and ducked back in. That allowed "Roe" to
get a 56-second intermission before Ramalama--who began from post position No.
4 after that inside defection--moved from fourth.
Ramalama pressed the issue to a :27.2 third quarter (1:23.2), poking her nose
in front soon after. She opened to a length-and-a-quarter entering the lane,
then prevailed by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:52.1. Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat
Lachance) rallied into second, third went to a gapping-the-winner
Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland), with "Cookie" and "Sue"
rounding out the payees. "Roe" faded to seventh.
For second choice Ramalama, a 4-year-old daughter of Bettor's Delight co-owned
(as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Our Horse Cents Stable and Weaver
Bruscemi, it was her fifth win in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $68.50,
with the triple returning $189.
The featured trot, also slimmed to seven (Super Manning was a judges' scratch)
saw favored DW's NY Yank--from post No. 6--refused let anyone else play with
him.
He enjoyed an open lead at every marker (:28, :57,3, 1:26, 1:54.3). After
taking a six-length lead in and out of the final turn, the final margin was a
wrapped-up 2 3/4 lengths. Zooming (Bartlett) did get into second, with
Likeabatoutahell (Eric Goodell), Somebody As (Jeff Gregory) and Bastille (Jim
Pantaleano) settling for the remainder. Second-choice Monsignor Flan
(Holland)--last week's winner--broke early here and pulled up.
For "DW," a 4-year-old Dilbert Hanover gelding co-owned (as Burke
Racing) by trainer Burke, Howard Taylor and Weaver Brusecemi, he's now 9-for-16
this season. The exacta paid $14.60, the triple returned $68.50 and the
superfecta paid $492.50.
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.
