BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Saturday, August 13, 2016—Sometimes, handicapping isn’t about trying to
reinvent the wheel.
With
that fun factoid in mind, the last time Allerage Star was in an Open Handicap
Trot, she won. The last time The Real One was in an Open Handicap Pace, he won.
Encore,
encore. Both repeated Saturday night, coming away with Yonkers co-features.
Allerage
Star (Andy Miller, $13.80), from post position No. 6 after a week off, was
given deft, two-move marching orders.
She
worked around first leader Lady’s Dude (George Brennan) just after a :28.2 opening quarter-mile. The lass found
a :57.3 intermission before E R Ellie (Jordan Stratton) made her second move,
first-up from third. Melady’s Monet (Tyler Buter), tucking fourth as the
just-over-even-money favorite, worked from second-over.
Allerage Star found a 1:26 three-quarters, taking
a length-and-three-quarter lead into the lane. That was enough to hold off a
charging ‘Melady,’ who missed a half-length in 1:54…track rerecord for her
weight class.
Lady’s Dude was a pocket third, with E R Ellie
and Madman Hall (Ray Schnittker) rounding out the payees.
For
fourth choice Allerage Star, a 4-year-old daughter of Angus Hall trained by
Julie Miller for co-owners Little E, Jason Settlemoir, Arthur Geiger and David
Stolz, it was her eighth win in 19 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $37.80, with the triple returning
$101.
The
week’s marquee pace saw The Real One (Pat Lachance, $15), last week’s champ,
save every inch of this week’s ground.
From
post No. 5, he was an unhurried sixth as Sapphire City (Mark MacDonald), then
Melmerby Beach (Dan Dube) led through intervals of :27, :55.4 and 1:23.2. ‘Melmerby’ had a length lead in and
out of the final turn.
P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett), who had found a
seat third, went after Melmerby Beach in earnest, collaring him mid-stretch. He
was good, but The Real One was better.
Slipping through deep in the passing lane, he
lassoed ‘Supercam’, drawing out to win by a length in a season’s-best-marching
1:51. Sapphire City, 1-2 choice Bit of a Legend N (Stratton) and Melmerby Beach
came away with the minors.
For
second choice The Real One, a 6-year-old Mach Three gelding trained by his
driver for owner Helene Filion, he’s now 5-for-18 this season. The exacta paid
$61.50, the triple returned $676 and the superfecta paid $1,440.
Not
that since no one hit Saturday’s Pick 5 Monday evening’s (July 18) Pick 5 wager
begins with a carryover of $3,020.94 (50-cent base wager. races 7 through 11).
New
York Sire Stakes continue Monday night, with the $145,923 Mike Cohen Trot
(2-year-old fillies). Thursday night, it’s the $151,624 Jim Meagher Pace
(2-year-old colts/geldings).
