BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, April 29, 2016—Al
Raza N (Mark MacDonald, $13) roared through the lane Friday night, winning
Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
It didn’t appear to be a closer’s race
after odds-on number Mosquito Blue Chip (Dan Dube) worked around
Pasultimatedelite N (George Brennan) and dawdled through early intervals of
28-flat and 57-flat.
Even when longshot Know it All (Eric
Abbatiello) offered a stern, backside challenge, it was only into a 28-second
(1:25) three-quarters.
Despite the comfy fractions, “Mosquito”
was about to be swatted. She was swallowed up from all sides early in the lane,
with a third-over (from post position No. 7) Al Raza N closing fastest from
sixth turning for home. She picked off Pasultimatedelite N by three-quarters of
a length in 1:53.2, with McCovey Cove N (Jordan Stratton), Jag Out (Steve
Smith) and Know it All settling for the remainder. Mosquito Blue Chip faded to
sixth.
For third
choice Al Raza N, a 6-year-old Down Under daughter of Gotta Go Cullect owned by
(trainer) Augie Abbatiello’s Durazzano Stable LLC, it was her fifth win in
eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $44.40, with the all-Kiwi triple
returning $153.
