BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Saturday, July 12, 2014—Pole assignee Sapphire City (Dan Dube, $7.80) held
off favored Pancetta (Jordan Stratton) Saturday
night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.
It was Aracache Hanover (George Brennan) cutting his teeth through
fractions of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23, with only
mild, first-up pressure from longshot Dream Out Loud N (Eric Goodell).
“Aracache” owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, but was done soon
thereafter.
Pancetta, the 11-10 choice, set up shop over and closed stoutly, but Sapphire
City—deposited into the passing lane—whipped that one by a half-length 1:51…a
season’s-best by three full seconds. Dream Out Loud N held credibly for third,
with invading Getitoffyourchest (Brent Holland) and The Real One (Pat Lachance)
settling for the minor moolah.
For
second choice Sapphire City, a 8-year-old Metropolitan gelding owned by Centaur
Stable & Jordan Sklut and trained by Paul Blumenfeld, it was his third win
in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $20.40, with the triple returning
$115.
Also
Saturday, a pair of $25,000 eliminations for the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace for
2-year-old colts and geldings. Leading the octet into Saturday’s $125,000
finale are winners In the Arsenal (Goodell, $13.80) and Carton Daddy (Brennan,
$3.20) in 1:56.1.
The
winners, trained by Kelvin Harrison and Ron Burke, respectively, shall be
joined next week Byby Landon, Mystical Pacer, Rock N’ Roll World, Lone
Survivor, Perfect Eagle and Parklane Eagle. The open draw is scheduled for
Tuesday afternoon.
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.
