BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Sunday, January 10, 2016—It
was wet rather than white as favored Not Afraid (Dan Dube, $5.90) proved best
Sunday afternoon, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $32,000 Open Handicap Trot.
Leaving from post position No. 4, he had
some company with Theraputic (George Brennan) and Red Hot Herbie (Brian Sears).
“Herbie” made the lead before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile as Not Afraid
deferred into a three-hole.
After a 58-second intermission, Not Afraid
was moving again, hooking Red Hot Herbie in and out of the 1:28.1
three-quarters. Red Hot Herbie owned a short lead into the lane, but Not Afraid
was relentless. He put away “Herbie,” then held off a hard-charging Dot Dot Dot
Dash (Matt Kakaley) by a neck in 1:57.
Red Hot Herbie, Tweet Me (Pat Lachance)
and Sumatra (Jordan Stratton) completed the cashers, while Theraputic tired to
last among the half-dozen.
For Not
Afraid, a now-7-year-old S J’s Caviar gelding trained by Jimmy Takter for
co-owners his wife, Christina, John Fielding and Goran Anderberg, he won his
seasonal debut (career earnings up and over $700,000). The exacta paid $40,
with the triple returning $143.
The Raceway’s
season continues Monday evening (first post 7:10 PM) and Tuesday (1
PM).
