BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, March 4, 2017—A
pocketed Hemi Seelster (Jason Bartlett, $17.80) and a down-the-road Caviart
Luca (George Brennan, $14) were the melba toasts of the town Saturday night,
winning Yonkers Raceway’s $50,000 co-featured Open Handicaps.
In play from post position No. 3, Hemi
Seelster nestled into an early pocket behind pole-sitting Springbank Sam N
(Jordan Stratton), with the lass Allerage Star (Andy Miller) diving into a
three-hole. Slight 2-1 choice Rose Run Parker (Brennan) tried to leave, but
found no room at the inn and took back to seventh.
‘Sam’ rated soft-enough subdivisions (:28.2, :58.4) before 20-1 shot Tweet Me
(Pat Lachance) took her shot, first-up from fourth. Springbank Sam N maintained
his lead in and out of a 1:27.3 third quarter, taking a length-and- a-half lead
into the lane.
Despite
seemingly cheap fractions, ‘Sam’ was powerless to stave off Hemi Seelster, who
prevailed by a length-and-a-half in 1:56.1. Allerage Star remained third, with
Tweet Me and Rubber Duck (Joe Bongiorno) settling for the remainder. Rubber
Duck’s pay envelope was compromised when Rose Run Parker broke right in front
of him in the stretch.
For sixth
choice Rock of Cashel, a 5-year-old Holiday Road gelding trained by Richard
Banca for co-owners Howard Taylor and Abraham Basen, it was his second
(consecutive) win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $49.60, with the
triple returning $358.50.
The weekly
featured pace saw Caviart Luca, from post No. 7, pay a stiff price for the
privilege of fronting the gang (:27., :55.3, 1:23.3, 1:52.1).
A half-length
to the good entering the lane, he fought ‘em all off, whipping 31-1 Lucan
Hanover (Mark MacDonald) by a neck. Bit of a Legend N (Stratton), as the 7-10
fave, eschewed slipping out to race third over and needed room. He wound up a
tight third, missing a half-length, with Roland N Rock (Tyler Buter) and First
Class Horse (Matt Kakaley) settling for the remainder.
For third
choice Caviart Luca, a 6-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding co-owned (as Burke
Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, it was his
fifth win in seven ’17 tries. The exacta paid $139.50, the triple returned $907
and the superfecta paid $8,717.
