BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, January 27,
2018—Orillia Joe (Brent Holland, $17.80) kept the form spree going Saturday
night (Jan. 27th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Open Handicap
Pace.
In play from outside post position No. 7,
Orillia Joe had a first-turn impediment when Delaware invader Cajon Lightning
(Jordan Stratton) made a filthy break. That forced Orillia Joe wide, making the
lead before a :27.3 opening quarter-mile.
Pole-assigned Western Hill (Jason
Bartlett) was able to secure the pocket, while 3-2 choice Gokudo Hanover (Matt
Kakaley) found a seat third. It was a rated :57.1 intermission before ‘Gokudo’
was out first-up. That one wasn’t making the requisite strides in and out of a
1:25.3 three-quarters, as Orillia Joe owned a length lead into the lane.
The closers arrived, but too late. Orillia
Joe whipped Take it Back Terry (George Brennan) by a neck in 1:54.2. Dream Out
Loud N (Dan Dube), as the 40-1 rank outsider, angled off the cones for a crisp
third, while Killer Martini (Eric Goodell) and Western Hill settled for the
minors
For fourth
choice Orillia Joe, an 8-year-old Western Ideal gelding by Joe P Racing and
trained by Matias Ruiz, it was his third win in as many seasonal starts. The
exacta paid $166.50, with the triple returning $1,895.
Sunday’s
(Jan. 28th) ‘French’ matinee goes with a first post of High Noon.
The 10-race card features six ‘French’ trots (races 5 through 10) and the ‘New
York, New York Double’ (Aqueduct’s 3rd race, Yonkers’ 6th
race).
