For Opinion, click here for View from the Racetrack Grandstand

Sunday, January 22, 2017

CAVIART LUCA WINS SATURDAY 45G OPEN HANDICAP PACE

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

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, January 21, 2017—Caviart Luca (George Brennan, $28.60) snapped odds-on Blood Brother (Jason Bartlett) at the wire Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Open Handicap Pace.

‘Twas a night better suited for Carl Sandburg (fog reference for all you academics out there), Caviart Luca found himself away from post position No. 3. He sat as 3-4 choice Blood Brother two-moved to the lead before a :27.4 opening quarter-mile.

Things remained unchanged after a 57-second intermission and 1:25 three-quarters, with Blood Brother taking a 2½-length lead into the lane.

Despite a mediocre tow from P H Supercam (Scott Zeron), Caviart Luca was relentless from second-up. He picked off the pace-setter by a nose in 1:52.2, with P H Supercam, Roland N Rock (Jordan Stratton) and City Hall (Tyler Buter) settling for the remainder. E Z Noah (Dan Dube) was outrun.

As an aside, it was the first time Bartlett did not drive P H Supercam here since September, 2013.

For fifth choice Caviart Luca, a now-6-year-old Somebeachsonewhere gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, he’s won both of his seasonal starts. The exacta paid $65.50, with the triple returning $204.