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Saturday, May 30, 2015

ALHAMBRA, IT’S A MIRACLE DEAD-HEAT IN FRIDAY 42G DISTAFF PACE

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

YONKERS, NY, Friday, May 29, 2015—With three-peating Krispy Apple not in attendance Friday night, it took two lasses to fill her horseshoes.

Alhambra (Brian Sears, $3.30) caught It’s a Miracle (Eric Carlson, $2.90) at the wire, dead-heating in Yonkers Raceway’s $42,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

It’s a Miracle, leaving from post position No. 5, wound up pocketed to Virgin Mary (Jordan Stratton) through fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:25.4. Meanwhile, pole-assigned Alhambra was tardy both leaving the gate, then catching her ride in the presence of Magic Starlight (George Brennan).

She did, however, close ranks in time to move widest and fastest, drawing even with a passing-lane It’s  Miracle in 1:53.4…a life-best effort for Alhambra.  Virgin Mary, who owned length lead into the lane, faded to third, beaten a length-and-quarters. Magic Starlight and Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat Lachance) completed cashers in a compact grouping, where the eight ladies finished the course separated by less than four lengths

            Sharing the salutations were second choice Alhambra, a 5-year-old daughter of Art Major owned by Joshua Schwartz and trained by William Adamczyk, now 5-for-18 this season.

For 17-10 fave It’s a Miracle, a 5-year-old Always a Virgin miss trained by Jose Godinez for co-owners Blindswitch Racing, Santo Farina, David Sebolsky and Stanley Yoskowitz, it was her fifth win in 20 ’15 tries.

The exactas paid $17.60 (Alhambra first) and $13.40 (It’s a Miracle first), with the triples returning $63 (Alhambra first) and $36.80 (“Miracle” first).
                                                                        
The Raceway’s live season continues Saturday night (post time 7:10 PM, $300,000 final of Art Rooney Pace and $117,724 Lismore). After that, it’s Monday (7:10 PM) and a  French-centric Tuesday (1 PM) before hiatus.