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Saturday, April 23, 2016

BETTOR N BETTER WINS FRIDAY 30G DISTAFF DERBY

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Friday, March 11, 2016—Bettor N Better N (Jason Bartlett, $9.30) tripped out from the pocket Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $30,000 Filly and Mare Preferred Handicap Pace.

In play early from her assigned post position No. 3, Bettor N Better made the first lead before handing off to 4-5 favorite Sassa Hanover (George Brennan).

“Sassa,” looking to regain past glory (who among us isn’t?), led through intervals of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:24.1, taking a length lead into the lane.

Despite getting comfy fractions and the fact none of her five rivals moved until McCovey Cove N (Jordan Stratton) did so from fifth nearing the three-quarters, Sassa Hanover was done. Bettor N Better edged out of the pocket, went by the leader and held off a twisting-and-turning, knifing-through ‘McCovey” by a neck in a season’s-best 1:52.3.

Alhambra (Tyler Buter) angled from the three-hole and was third, while Sassa Hanover faded to fifth.

For second choice Bettor N Better, a 4-year-ol daughter of Bettor’s Delight owned by Bamond Racing and trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr., it was her second win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $34.40, with the triple returning $1116.50.

The Raceway’s live season continues Saturday night with a $1.3 million 13-race card (first post 7:10 PM), highlighted by the sport’s two richest races of the season to date, the $609,000 final of the George Morton Levy Memorial (9th race) and $309,800 final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker (7th race).