BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Friday, January 13, 2017—A from-last Massive Attack A (Jordan Stratton,
$86) blew up Yonkers Raceway’s first femme feature of 2017, Friday the 13th’s
$45,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Unhurried early from post position No. 3, the
rank outsider watched as outside assignee Tessa Seelster (George Brennan) had
to work getting around her five inside foes.
‘Tessa’ did just that just after a :27.1 opening
quarter-mile, with pole-assigned Motu Moonbeam A (Tyler Buter) protecting the
pocket and Velocity Vespa (Matt Kakaley) away third.
She then rated a :29.4 next station (57-second
half) before Bettor N Better (Jason Bartlett) moved from fourth.
Things became interesting right around the 1:25.3
three-quarters when the leader—who had all sorts of equipment changes for this
race—threatened to break for a handful of steps before losing it altogether.
Tessa Seelster wound up leaving the course soon
after as Bettor N Better was defaulted a two-length lead entering the lane. The
first-up trip was about to do Bettor N Better in, however, as a second-over,
even-money fave Hidden Land (Brent Holland) went by.
However, a third-up Massive Attack A made the
last lead, rolling from third-up to win by a half-length in 1:54.3. Hidden Land
did hold second, with Bettor N Better, Motu Moonbeam N and a placed-fifth
Velocity Vespa completing the payees.
Tessa Seelster wound up fifth-placed-sixth for
her unscripted dance.
For Massive Attack A, a now-6-year-old Down Under
daughter of Advance Attack co-owned by (trainer) William Adamczyk, Alexander
Kantonist, Joshua Schwartz and Raymond Hoegen Jr., it was a season-debuting
victory. The exacta paid $295, with the triple returning $856.
