BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Sunday, November 27, 2016—Favored Hemi Seelster (Jason Bartlett, $6.20)
atoned for last week’s behave Sunday morning, winning Yonkers Raceway’s
mile-and-a-quarter, $56,000 Open Handicap Trot.
In
play early (actually, everyone was, since post time was 11:12 AM) from post
position No. 7, ‘Hemi’ had to wait before making the lead. He did so around
Centurion ATM (Mark MacDonald) just after a :28.1 opening quarter-mile.
Tweet
Me (Pat Lachance) was a loose third, while Classical Annie (George Brennan)
broke after leaving. Hemi Seelster then rated a :57.4 half-mile and 1:27.2
three-quarters as last week’s upsetter, Not Afraid (Dan Dube), moved from
fourth.
That
one couldn’t get close, while a second-up Tornado Tim (catch-driver Jeff
Gregory) jumped it off. Hemi Seelster picked it up, getting the mile in 1:55.4
and widening to 2¼ lengths in and out of the final turn.
He
held Centurion ATM at bay, winning by a neck in 2:24.2..a tick faster than his
two-week-old local record for this division/distance. Tweet Me was a
non-threatening third, easily holding off minor payees Wind of the North (Brian
Sears) and Not Afraid.
For Hemi Seelster, a 4-year-old Holiday Road
gelding co-owned by Richard Lombardo, Carl Atley & Robert LeBlanc and
trained by Tom Milici, it was his ninth win in 21 seasonal starts. The exacta
paid $24.20, with the triple (three wagering choices in order) returning $76.
Sunday’s ‘New York, New York Double’ returned $38
for every correct ‘double nickel’ dollar combination of 5 (Boomerang
Toy-Aqueduct’s 3rd race) and 5 (Time Will Tell All-Yonkers’ 6th
race). The total pool was $3,505.
