BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, May 9,
2015—Wagering choices Luminosity (George Brennan, $4.90) and Michael’s Power
(Dan Dube, $5.50) both went down the road Saturday night, winning Yonkers
Raceway’s co-featured $42,000 Open Handicaps.
Luminosity, from post position No. 7 in
the weekly marquee trot, eschewed an early seat. He drove past Il Mago (Dube)
just after a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. From there, a :56.3
intermission, then back-half markers of 1:25.2 and 1:54.1…the latter making it
the fastest local trot mile of the season.
Season-debuting
Obrigado (Mark MacDonald) rallied into second—beaten a length-and-quarter—from
an assigned eight-hole (at 37-1), with Il Mago third. Dewycolorintheline
(Jordan Stratton) and A Cool Million (Eric Carlson) rounded out the payees.
For Luminosity , a 5-year-old Cash Hal gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by
(trainer) Ron Burke and Weaver Bruscemi, it was his fifth win in 14 seasonal
starts. The exacta paid $117, the triple returned $589 and the superfecta paid
$1,858.
The week’s featured pace Michael’s Power,
from post No. 8, hold off Sapphire City (MacDonald) by a short nostril in a
two-speed number (:27, :56.1, 1:24.4, 1:53). Third went a
late-arriving The Real One (Pat Lachance), with Duel in the Sun (Brennan) and
Big N Bad (Brian Sears) settling for the remainder. The first six finishers
were separated by a length-and-a-half.
For Michael’s Power, a 6-year-old
homebred Camluck gelding bred/owned by Jeff Snyder and trained by Mark Silva,
it was his sixth win in 13 ’15 tries. The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid
$18.20, with the triple returning $47.60.
Special Saturday props to
Moonliteonthebeach (Bartlett, $7.20), whose 1:51.1 win in the $25,000, 10th-race
pace matched Domethatagain’s fastest Westchester pacing mile of the season.
The Raceway’s live season continues
Saturday night (post time 7:10 PM). After that, it’s Monday (7:10 PM),
Tuesday (1 PM, second round of the Jackpot Next Door Claiming Series),
then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 PM). Note Sunday matinees are done
until November. Evening simulcasting accompanies all night programs, with
afternoon simulcasting available daily.
