BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Friday, September 23, 2016—Tessa Seelster (George Brennan, $7.70) again
proved best Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Filly and Mare Open
Handicap Pace.
In
play from her ‘inside’ post position No. 5 (posts 5 thru 8 were drawn), Tessa
Seelster easily worked around pole-sitting, slight 2-1 favorite Devil Child
(Eric Goodell). After a :27.3 opening quarter-mile, a :29.1 second substation
(:56.4 intermission) served her well.
Secret’s
Out N (Tyler Buter) took out of fourth and was originally pacing in place. She
did eventually make steady advances in and out of a 1:24.1 three-quarters,
though the leader maintained a length-and-a-quarter advantage entering the
lane.
‘Tessa’
found the wire a half-length before Devil Child in 1:51.3. Secret’s Out N held
third, with Rock N Roll Xample (Dan Dube) and Tipitina (Brent Holland) settling
for the minors.
For third 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 ninth win in 19 seasonal starts. The
exacta paid $24.80, with the triple returning $121.
Saturday’s card is enveloped by the 27th
New York Night of Champions, the $1.8 million culmination of the sire stakes
season. The Empire State’s richest night of racing features eight, $225,000
NYSS, for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.
They go as the first eight races during the
13-race card, with first post the usual 7:10 PM.
