BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, July 4,
2015—Texican N (Eric Carlson $19.20) and Melady’s Monet (Jason Bartlett, $3.20)
each went from pocket to paydirt Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s
holiday $42,000 co-featured Open Handicaps.
Texican N, from post position No. 3 in the
weekly featured pace, found himself sequestered in the two-hole behind Rock on
Moe (Jordan Stratton). That one led through intervals of :27.1, 57.1 and 1:25.1, with P H Supercam
(Bartlett) making a second move.
It was “Moe”
taking a short lead into the lane, with he and P H Supercam slugging it
out. That left Texican N waiting his turn, and he dove inside to win a
three-way scrum. The margin, over win-the-battle-lose-the-war P H Supercam, was
a head in a season’s-best 1:52.4, with Rock on Moe third, beaten a half-length.
The small
change went to McErlean (Tyler Buter) The Real One (Pat Lachance).
For fifth choice Texican N, a 6-year-old Down Under Bettor’s Delight gelding
owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, it was his third win
in 18 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $104, with the triple returning $409.50.
As for odds-on “Melady,” he just shows up here for holidays. Last seen in
Westchester Halloween Night, he was a solid winner here in the week’s marquee
trot. Leaving from post No. 6 (in one notch after an inside scratch), the 3-5
choice made the lead before yielding to Luminosity (George Brennan).
Subsections of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:26
(weak, first-over company in the form of Tweet Me [Tyler Buter]) gave
Luminosity a length lead in and out of the final turn. However, he couldn’t
stave off a pylon-diving Melady’s Money, who edged away by a
length-and-a-quarter in 1:55. Take My Picture (Mark MacDonald), E R Ellie
(Stratton) and Lorenzo Dream (Carlson) settled for the remainder.
For Melady’s Monet, a 6-year-old Revenue S
gelding owned by Melady Enterprises and trained by Kevin McDermott, it was his
seventh win in 15 ’15 tries. The exacta (two wagering choices paid $7.10, the
triple returned $32.40 and the superfecta paid $174.
Note that since no one took down Saturday’s Pick 5, Monday night’s
gimmick—already with a $10,000 guaranteed pool—begins with a carryover of
$2,881.61 (50-cent base wager, races 7 through 11).
The Raceway’s live season continues Monday night (7:10 PM), Tuesday
matinee (1 PM), then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 PM). Evening
simulcasting accompanies all night programs, with afternoon simulcasting
available daily.
