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Wednesday, August 3, 2016

SOPH FILLIES IN YONKERS’ 167G NYSS MIKE CIPRIANI TROT


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

YONKERS, NY, Monday, August 1, 2016—The new month featured Empire-breds, with Yonkers Raceway Monday night hosting the $167,864 Mike Cipriani Trot for 3-year-old fillies.

The event honored the memory of the Raceway’s longtime, award-winning photographer.

A pair of $83,937 divisions were contested, won by a longshot and a short shot.

The longie was 30-1 Earn Your Wings (Jason Bartlett, $63), who overcame her eight-ball venue with an aggressive effort. Making the first lead right at a :28.4 opening quarter-mile, ‘Wings’ then relented to last season’s divisional champ, Non Stick (Dan Dube).

The 3-10 choice found a :57.3 intermission and 1:27.1 three-quarters as Goosebump Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) moved from fifth down the backside. That one blew past the odds-on fave, who subsequently went awry, leaving the course in the final turn.

“Goosebump” owned a two-length lead into the lane, but was unable to close the sale. Earn Your Wings, who had extricated herself from the pocket before Non Stick jumped it off, angled back inside the new leader won going away.

The margin was a length-and-an-half in 1:57, with Monarch’s Sequel (Mark MacDonald)—last at the three-quarters—rallying for second. Goosebump Hanover, Open Access (Scott Zeron) and Zette Starlet (Brian Sears) completed the cashers.   

For sixth choice Earn Your Wings, a daughter of  Credit Winner trained by Anette Lorentzon for owner SRF Stable, it was her third win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $454, with the triple returning $2,282
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Monday night’s second Cipriani event turned out to be much more formful, as in a two-speed, two-favorite number.

Fad Finance (Morrill Jr., $4.50), the 6-5 favorite from post No. 5, left around second choice Swinging Royalty (Sears), the easily kept her at bay (:29, :57.3, 1:26.4, 1:56.1).

The former, with a couple of lengths in and out of the final turn, won by a handy length. Credit to Thelimit (George Brennan), Straight A Student (MacDonald) and Time to Talk (Dube) settled for the minors.

For Fad Finance, a Credit Winner ma’am co-owned by Purple Haze and Rojan Stables & Marc Goldberg and trained by Trond Smedshammer, she’s now 4-for-8 this season. The exacta paid $8.10, with the triple returning $29.


In addition to the Ciprianis, a few dozen guests from Equi Tours Sweden enjoyed dinner, the races and a tour.