BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, September 29,
2017—Favored Newborn Sassy (Jordan Stratton, $4.30) stalked, then starred, from
second-over Friday night (Sept. 29th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s
$50,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Unhurried early form post position No. 6
(in one notch after a defection), Newborn Sassy saw Betabcool N (Eric Goodell)
through down a reasonable early gauntlet (:27.2, :56.2).
Delightful Dragon (Brent Holland) then
moved from fourth going toward a 1:24.2 three-quarters.
Betbacool N had a length-and-a-half to
play with in and out of the final turn, but playtime was about to end. Newborn
Sassy launched around her stagnant tow, then mowed down the leader. The margin
was three-quarters of a length in a flat 1:53. Betabcool N held second over a
pocketed Dewar N Soda (Eric Abbatiello), with Lispatty (George Brennan) and a
returning Diva’s Image (Pat Lachance) rounding out the
payees.
For ‘Sassy,’
a 4-year-old daughter of Western Ideal co-owned by (trainer) Jim King Jr and CC
Racing, it was her seventh win in a dozen seasonal starts (career earnings in
excess of $700,000). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $12.60, with the
triple returning $98
