BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, September 14, 2013--Great Vintage (Larry Stalbaum) was
first to the lead and first to the line Saturday night, winning Yonkers
Raceway's $37,000 Open Pace.
With schnoz on starting gate from
post position No. 4, Great Vintage made the lead around I Fought Dalaw (Mark
MacDonald) right at the :27.1 opening quarter-mile. Then, locally-debuting
Aracache Hanover (George Brennan), as the 1-2 favorite, moved from third.
"Aracache" found a :55.4 intermission before second choice
Domethatagain (Brent Holland) moved from fourth.
That one prompted the issue in and
out of the 1:23.4 three-quarters, though Aracache Hanover maintained a
length-and-a-half lead into the lane.
However, his $1.5
million career resume failed to impress the Westchesterites. Great Vintage
ducked inside, winning a protracted duel by a nose in 1:51.4. Diamond Cowboy
(Jason Bartlett) closed stoutly to snatch second, with Aracache Hanover--beaten
a head--Domethatagain and I Fought Dalaw completing the cashers.
For Great Vintage, a 5-year-old
statebred son of American Ideal trained by Jimmy Takter for co-owners Christina
Takter, John Fielding, Goran Anderberg and Falkbolagen AB, he returned $13.80
(third choice) his for his seventh win in 24 seasonal starts. The exacta paid
$152, with the triple returning $641.
Special Saturday night props to Lucky Man, whose third-place finish in the
$19,000, fifth-race pace made his harness racing's newest millionaire
($1,000,838).
