BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Tuesday, May 26, 2015—Favored
Winter Blues (Brian Sears, $3.80, part of entry) and bombardier McEver (Mark
MacDonald, $91.50) earned the spiffy blankets Tuesday afternoon, winning
Yonkers Raceway’s pair of final in the “Jackpot Next Door” Claiming Series.
In play early from post position No. 4 in
the $69,000 finale for the boys, Winter Blues worked around Auckland Flyer
(Eric Carlson), with a :27.2 opening quarter-mile and :56.2 intermission. Ideal
Carver (Dan Dube) tried it from fourth towards the 1:24 three-quarters as
Winter Blues owned a length-and-three-quarter lead in and out of the final
turn.
When a $20,000 claimer paces a life-best
1:51.3, he’s gonna be tough, and Winter Blues was just that. He held sway over
Ideal Carver by three-quarters of a length, with Auckland Flyer third.
Someplace Special (Tyler Buter) and Digital Z Tam (George Brennan) came away
with the remainder.
For Winter Blues, a 10-year-old Astreos gelding
co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard and Kapildeo
Singh, it was his fourth win in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $14.40,
with the triple returning $36.80.
“Just an honest horse who raced very
well,” Sears said, though he was admittedly stumped when asked how many career
marks he’s put on 10-year-olds.
Tuesday afternoon’s $59,000 finale of the
‘JND’ for the ladies was won by that cone-skimming McEver as the longest shot
on the board.
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Leaving from post No. 7 (in one notch
after a defection), McEver had no choice but to watch the floor show taking
place many lengths in front of her. It was pole-sitting Mikeleh (Dube) refusing
to give up the baton, seating a reluctant 1-5 choice (part of entry) Grace
Seelster (Brennan) and throwing down the gauntlet (:26.3, :55.4).
First-up was Derek Delight (Sears),
“Grace’s” partner, but she couldn’t sustain a bid toward a 1:24.1
three-quarters. So, Mikeleh owned a length-and-three-quarter lead into the
lane. Grace Seelster took another shot, but she wasn’t the problem.
The problem was McEver, who saved every
inch of ground, closed relentlessly (:27.4 individual final quarter) and
actually won going away. The margin over Mikeleh was a length in a season’s-best
1:53. Shawnee Dancer (Scott Zeron) rallied for third, with Grace Seelster and
My Ideal Hanover (Buter) rounding out the payees.
“I’d rather be lucky than good any day,”
MacDonald said. “Turning for home, I was hoping to get third, but she kicked it
in and Danny’s filly and mine were going in opposite directions. His came back
to us and mine just took off.”
For McEver, a 7-year-old daughter of
McArdle owned by Susan Oakes and trained by Chris Oakes, it was her fifth win
in 14 ’15 tries. The exacta paid $453, with the triple returning $4,784. The
winner paid $116 to place, with show wagering barred.
