BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, May 6, 2017—A pair
of down-the-roaders—Great Vintage (Dan Dube, $4) and Taco Tuesday (Jason
Bartlett, $6.40)—were the Saturday night (May 6th) standouts,
winning Yonkers Raceway’s pair of $55,000 co-features.
Great Vintage started inside his rivals in
the blind-draw Open Pace, then took it the distance (:27.2, 56.4, 1:24.4, 1:52), though not without an
elongated scrum with Blood Brother (Bartlett),. That one, having left into a
three-hole, went after the leader in a big way.
It was a
back-half match race, with Great Vintage holding sway by a determined nostril.
Orillia Joe (Brent Holland) held third—beaten 3 ½ lengths—with Roland N Rock
(Jordan Stratton) and Te Kawau N (Brian Sears)
For Great
Vintage, a 9-year-old millionaire son of American Ideal trained by Jimmy Takter
for co-owners his wife, Christina, John Fielding and a pair of Gorans
(Anderberg and Falk), it was his first win in a seven seasonal starts The
exacta (two wagering choices paid $9.20, with the triple returning $33.60.
Despite
‘losing’ the post position Nos. 3 through 7 draw, Taco Tuesday gave nothing
else a shot (:28.2, :57.2, 1:25.4, 1:54.2) in the Open Handicap Trot. The
result was the fastest local trot mile of the season.
Springbank
Sam N (Stratton) chased from the pocket, missing a length. It was more than six
lengths back to eight-hole assignee Barn Doll (Jeff Gregory), with
Showmeyourguns (Tyler Buter) and Pridecrest (Holland) settling for the minors.
Red Hot Herbie (Dube), as the 11-10 fave, was an outrun sixth, beaten just a
pair of breakers.
For second
choice Taco Tuesday, a 4-year-old Cantab Hall gelding owned by Vincent
Laurenzo and trained by Andrew Harris (off a barn change), it was his fifth win
in nine ’17 tries. The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid $7.30, with the
triple returning $34.20.
