BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Sunday, May 28, 2017—“Hemi
Seelster has fled the scene.”
So said track announcer John Hernan, who
did not lie, as ‘Hemi’ (Brent Holland, $9.90) made quick work of 11 rivals
Sunday afternoon (May 28th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s
mile-and-a-quarter $68,000 Open Trot.
Away alertly from post position No. 3,
Hemi Seelster stuffed Red Hot Herbie (Dan Dube) in behind coming toward a :27.4
opening quarter-mile. The remaining eight furlongs (:58, 1:27.2, 1:56.1,
2:24.3) were angst-free, with a final margin of 5¾ lengths.
‘Herbie’ clearly was second, with Money
Maven (Eric Goodell) a three-hole third. Second-tier starters Wing Flash (Tyler
Buter) and Homicide Hunter (Anthony Napolitano) rounded out the payees, while
5-2 favorite Tag Up and Go (Joe Bongiorno) was a never-in-it ninth and second
choice Wings of Royalty (Brian Sears) couldn’t get out his own way.
For third choice Hemi Seelster, a
5-year-old Holiday Road gelding co-owned by Howard Taylor & Abe Basen and
trained by Rich Banca, it was his fourth win in 13 seasonal starts (now over a
half-million dollars for his career). The exacta paid $69, with the triple
returning $616.
For Holland, it was career driving win No.
4,993.
The weekly featured trot was the first of
four ‘French’ races during the dozen-race, all-trot card.
Sunday’s revival of the ‘New York, New York Double’ saw a winning combination
of 9-(Bustin’ It, Belmont’s 3rd race) and 4-(Andy Ray, Yonkers’ 7th
race) paid $13.90 for every correct dollar ticket (total pool $7,361).
Live racing (and evening simulcasting) returns Friday, June 16th
(post time 7:10 PM). Afternoon simulcasting remains available, including the
June 10th Belmont Stakes.
