BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, February 10,
2018—Lone lass NF Happenstance (Jack Parker Jr., $7.20) and a repeating Killer
Martini (Jason Bartlett, $13.20) were the big cheeses Saturday night (Feb. 10th),
winning Yonkers Raceway’s moist, co-featured $40,000 Open Handicaps.
NF Happenstance exacted a measure of
revenge upon Rubber Duck (Joe Bongiorno) in the weekly featured trot. In play
from post position No. 6, NF Happenstance waited her turn as Cash Me Out (Eric
Goodell) made the first lead
The lady took over before a 28-second
opening quarter-mile, then was immediately flanked by 7-5 choice Rubber Duck.
There would be no reverse chivalry here, as NF Happenstance hung Rubber Duck.
After a 56.3 intermission and 1:25.2 three-quarters, Rubber
Duck had enough while NF Happenstance was just getting started. She opened four
lengths in and out of the final turn, finishing her rounds in 1:55.1…fastest
local trot mile of the season.
Dog Gone Lucky (Jordan Stratton) won the
scrum for second, beaten 3½ lengths, while Le Reveur N (Dan Dube) and Cash Me
Out wound up in a heater for third. Lily’s Swan Pond (George Brennan) picked
off the final pay envelope.
For second choice NF Happenstance, an 8-year-old daughter of
S J’s Caviar owned by James Moore and trained by Carol Jamieson-Parker, it was
her fifth win in six seasonal starts. The exacta $39.20, with the triples
returning $71 (Le Reveur N third) and $81.50 (Cash Me Out third).
The week’s
pacing feature saw an early scrum with a handful of leavers, all of whom found
seats except for 2-1 favorite Orillia Joe (Brent Holland).
Wide early,
he engaged Dream Out Loud N, who gave him the back of his hoof. Early intervals
of :26.3 and :55.4 were going to set it up for someone, and that someone
was Killer Martini.
Patient from
post No. 5, he went wide around a fading Orillia Joe and a stalled bid of All
Down the Line (Goodell).
Dream Out
Loud N maintained the lead through a 1:23.3 three-quarters, taking a
length-and-a-half into the lane. While that one fought the good fight, he was
about to get rolled over. It was Killer Martini sustaining his attempt, edging
away to win by a length-and-a-quarter in a season’s-best 1:53.
Thisjetsabookin’
(Stratton) rallied for second after leaving for a seat and angling out. Dream
Out Loud N los the place photo, with Gokudo Hanover (Matt Kakaley) and
Don’tcallmefrancis (Greg Merton) settling for the minors.
For Killer Martini, a 6-year-old Camluck gelding Alberta
owned and trained by Ricky Bucci, it was—as the fifth choice--his second win in
five ’18 tries. The exacta paid $147.50, with the triple returning $733.
As for Foiled Again (Brennan), his 307th career
start—and third attempt at a 100th victory—was not the stuff of
legend. Stuck behind the eight-ball in the $20,000, ninth-race pace, harness
racing’s richest-ever equine never entering contention, trailing his seven
rivals throughout the soggy sojourn.
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