BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, January 30, 2016—A
pocketed Somebody AS (Jordan Stratton, $13.40) and a down-the-road Phil Your
Boots (Tyler Buter, $5.40) earned the glory Saturday night, winning Yonkers
Raceway’s co-featured $32,000 Open Handicaps.
The weekly featured trot saw Somebody
AS—from assigned post position No. 3—watched invading Major Athens (George
Brennan) led the way. The slight 2-1 choice threw down the anvil (:28.1, :57.2, 1:26), taking a
length-and-a-half lead into the lane.
Red Hot
Herbie (Brian Sears), who found an early three-hole, loomed at the leader in
and out of the final turn, but flattened. Somebody AS though, was waiting for
his shot. He ducked inside and bested a rallying Crazshana (Jason Bartlett) by
a neck in 1:54.4, fastest local mile of the season.
Red Hot
Herbie settled for third, with Major Athens Zooming (Buter) completed the
cashers.
For third
choice Somebody AS, a 7-year-old Striking Sahbra gelding trained by Anette
Lorentzon for co-owners ACL Stuteri Ab and Kjell Johansson, it was his first
win in two seasonal starts. The exacta paid $102.50, with the triple returning
$703.
The week’s
pacing feature had 17-10 choice “Phil” leave from post No. 5, steal away with a
cheap (:28.0, 57.4) half. From there, the pursuers has no shot, with a :55.4
back portion (1:25.4; 1:53.3). The final margin was a
length-and-three-quarters over a good effort from Melmerby Beach (Bartlett),
with Texas Terror N (Matt Kakaley), Atta Boy Dan (Brennan) and Hugh Hefner N
(Stratton) settling for the remainder.
For Phil Your
Boots, a 6-year-old Shanghai Phil gelding trained by Andrew Harris for owner
Louis Frascella, he’s now 2-for-3 this season. The exacta (two wagering
favorites) paid $12.60, the triple returning $129.50 and the superfecta paid
$949.
