BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, January 24, 2014--Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night
$33,000 Opens--a
blind
draw Pace for the ladies and a handicapped Trot for all with the requisite
resume--were won by a first-up Carol's Desire (Jason Bartlett, $20.60) and
another first-up Cowgirl Hall (George Brennan, $6.30).
After pole-sitting Keeper's Destiny (Brian Sears) strung out both slight 2-1
choice Lorrie Please (Eric Carlson) and 24-1 shot Mandy's Mattjesty (Brennan),
it was "Mandy" taking over. She made the lead passing a 28-second
flat opening quarter-mile, then found a :57.2 intermission.
Carol's Desire--starting from post position No. 3--moved from fifth, with Stage
it Right (Mark MacDonald) on
his tail. Mandy's Mattjesty maintained the lead in and out of a 1:26.1
three-quarters, with a length advantage entering the lane.
However, her fan club would be leaving soon. Carol's Desire continued her
grind, eventually holding off Stage it Right by a nose in 1:55.3. Third went to
an angled-out Keeper's Destiny, with a seam-squeezing Ideal in Vegas (Matt
Kakaley) and "Mandy" rounding out the payees.
For
fifth choice Carol's Desire, a 4-year-old daughter of Real Desire co-owned by
Richard J. Banca and M T Wallet
Enterprises and trained by Rich Banca, it was her first win in two seasonal
starts. The exacta paid $169.50, with the triple returning $770.
The week's marquee trot saw last week's winner, Zooming (Tyler Buter), in play
early. He worked around Lorenzo's Dream (Goodell), finding early intervals of
:28.4 and :59. As for Cowgirl Hall, she left into a five-hole from post No. 7.
"Cowgirl," the 2-1 fave as the lone lass, then took up the chase. She
engaged Zooming by the1:28.2 three-quarters in and old-fashioned match race.
Zooming fought the tough fight, but it was ladies first. Cowgirl Hall prevailed
over Zooming by a neck in 1:56.4, with Lorenzo Dream, War Cry Hall (Bartlett)
and Likeabatoutahell (Sears) settling for the small change.
For
fifth choice Cowgirl Hall, a 5-year-old daughter of Cash Hall co-owned (as
Burke Racing by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Jack Piatt and Michael
Rosenthal, it was her third win in as many '14 tries (5-for-5 since the barn
change) . The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid $25.60, the triple returned
$137.50 and the superfecta paid $593.
Friday night's handle for the dozen races was $1,232,873, a single-program high
thus far in 2014.
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 daily.
