BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday September 8,
2017—Odds-on Newborn Sassy (Jordan Stratton, $3.70) overcame seven rivals and a
scattering Friday night (Sept. 8th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s
$50,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Away fourth from post position No. 5,
‘Sassy’ watched as Jag Out (George Brennan) leave around Lovineveryminute
(Brent Holland), paying a :26.4, first-quarter privilege for the lead. In the
second turn, the latter was attempting to leapfrog past the former when the
pair locked wheels.
That unscheduled bit of loveliness caused
all the ladies in behind to alter their routes, with any number either breaking
and/or going wide and 59-1 longshot trailer Betabcool N (Greg Merton) leaving
the course.
After the discourse, Newborn Sassy—one of
the those breakers—righted the ship and moved to the lead, with Betabcool N
taking the very abbreviated way back to the oval and into the pocket. The
half was a an incident-slowed :58.1, after which ‘Sassy’ finished it off
(1:26.1, 1:54.3).
The margin was a length-and-a-half into
the lane and a length-and-three-quarters at the wire. Betabcool N was second,
with Princess Fabulosa (Eric Goodell), HP Sissy (Brian Sears) and Acefourtyfour
Alex (Joe Bongiorno) settling for the remainder.
After a lengthy inquiry, the judges made
no placements, deeming Betabcool N should not be penalized for shortening her
trip to avoid the impediments in front of her.
For Newborn
Sassy, a 4-year-old daughter of Western Ideal co-owned by (trainer) Jim King
Jr. CC Racing LLC, it was her sixth win in 10 seasonal starts (career
4-for-5 here, including last season’s Lady Maud). The exacta paid $199, the
triple returned $807 and the superfecta paid $17,433 (base $2 payout).
