BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Friday, September 16, 2016—A resurgent Tessa Seelster (George Brennan, $10)
proved best Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Filly and Mare Open
Handicap Pace.
Away
fourth from her assigned post position No. 6, ‘Tessa’ saw pole-sitting Jungle
Genie N (Brent Holland) seat everyone early. ‘Genie’ paid a :27.1 price for the privilege before
11-10 favorite Rock N Roll Xample (Dan Dube) made her second move.
Leaving into a three-hole, she went by Jungle
Genie N right at the quarter-mile, then led the ladies through a :55.4
intermission.
Tessa Seelster then made her second move, out to
engage the fave down the backside. Rock N Roll Xample continued to lead in and
out of a 1:24 three-quarters, where it appeared she put her stalker away.
The lead was a length-and-a-half in and out of
the final turn, but Rock N Roll Xample was about to fade from the scene. Tessa
Seelster found renewed life, though, getting the better of Jungle Genie N by a
length in 1:52.2.
Mach it a Par (Brian Sears), last of the seven
entering the lane, rallied for third, with Secret’s Out N (Tyler Buter) and Al
Raza N (Mark MacDonald) rounding out the payees. Rock N Roll Xample tired to
sixth.
For second choice Tessa Seelster, a 4-year-old
daughter of Shadow Play co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver
Bruscemi and Jonathan Newman, it was her eighth win in 18 seasonal starts. The
exacta paid $144, with the triple returning $574.
