BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Sunday, January 17, 2016—Not
Afraid (Dan Dube, $5.50) held off Red Hot Herbie (Brian Sears) in a
two-speed number Sunday afternoon, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $32,000 Open
Handicap Trot.
Assigned post position No. 5 among the
half-dozen, Not Afraid and outside-remanded ”Herbie” were both in play early.
Not Afraid retook from Red Hot Herbie right before the :28.4 opening
quarter-mile, then rated a comfy 59-second intermission.
It was a 1:27.3 three-quarters as Tweet Me
(Pat Lachance) moved from third, in front of 13-10 choice Dot Dot Dot Dash
(Matt Kakaley).
Not Afraid owned a length-and-three-quarter
lead into the lane, then held sway despite drifting.. He whipped Red Hot Herbie
by a half-length in 1:55.4…fastest local trot mile thus far this season. Tweet
Me, Dot Dot Dot Dash and Zooming (Tyler Buter) came away with the remainder,
while Theraputic (George Brennan) was outrun.
For second
choice 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’s now 2-for-2 in 2016. The exacta paid $19, with the triple returning $118.
Note that the
“French” Sunday matinees take a hiatus until Feb. 28. The Raceway’s season
continues Monday (first post 7:10 PM) and Tuesday (1 PM).
