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).
