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
.
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.
