BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Saturday, July 23, 2016—Yonkers Raceway’s pair of Saturday night $45,000
co-featured Open Handicaps were annexed by Undercover Strike (Tyler Buter,
$43.60) and Sapphire City (Brent Holland, $8).
Undercover
Strike, from post position No. 5 in the weekly featured trot, closed from
third-over in the lane to pick off a solid, first-over Shake it Cerry (Dan
Dube) by a half-length in 1:54.1.
Invading
Muscle Up the Goal (Brian Sears) led through early stations of :27.2 and :56.3
before ‘Cerry’ upended him. She owned a length lead into the lane, only to be
nailed late.
Resolve
(Ake Svanstedt), in his first local start since the 2014 Yonkers Trot, was
third. It wasn’t the smoothest of trips for the 3-5 choice. Assigned outside
his six rivals, he floated from the gate, but found no seat and took back to
last.
Out
and moving by the half, he wound up second-over behind Shake it Cerry, who left
the cones right at the same time. Resolve wound up gapping the lass, then
flattening late to be beaten two lengths, with E R Ellie (Larry Stalbaum) and
Lady’s Dude (George Brennan) rounding out the payees.
For
sixth choice Undercover Strike, an 8-year-old Striking Sahbra gelding owned by
Gerard Stuchbury and trained by Tom Milici, it was his ninth win in 14 seasonal
starts. The exacta paid $164, with the triple returning $622.
The
week’s featured pace saw Sapphire City, put in play from post No. 6, stalk
Great Vintage (Dube). After subsections of :27.1, :56.1
and 1:24.1, Great
Vintage was about to wear out his welcome.
Before
he did, he towed Sapphire City to the passing lane, which he used to whip a
second-over, slight 2-1 choice Keystone Velocity (Sears) by a nose in 1:52.2.
Polak A (Andy Miller) was a credible, first-up third off the layoff, with Dream
Out Loud N (Buter) and UF Rockin’ Dragon (Eric Abbatiello) settling for the
remainder.
For
second choice Sapphire City, an 8-year-old Metropolitan gelding trained by Paul
Blumenfeld for co-owners Centaur Stables and Jordan Sklut, he’s now 5-for-20
this season (50 career wins). The exacta paid $38.40, the triple returned $153
and the superfecta paid $852.
