BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Saturday, June 15, 2019—Pole-sitting favorite Micky Gee N (Jordan Stratton,
$4.30) turned in the fastest local mile of the season Saturday night (June 15th),
winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $44,000 Open Pace.
Away fourth, Micky
Gee N Dr. J Hanover (Brent Holland) as that one laid down the law through
intervals of :26.3; 55.4 and 1:23.1.
Micky Gee N hooked the leader in and out of the final turn, then edged away.
The final time of 1:50.3 was a Westchester seasonal mark, with the final margin
a half-length over Rock Diamonds N (Ron Cushing).
The latter showed good speed at the both ends of the mile,
snapping Dr. J Hanover for second. Major Crocker A (Jim Marohn Jr.) and Caviart
Luca (George Brennan) rounded out the payees.
For Micky Gee N, a
6-year-old Down Under Bettor’s Delight gelding owned by William Hartt and
trained by Lance Hudson, the life-best effort was his fourth win in a 11
seasonal starts. The exacta paid $19.20, the triple returned $77 and the
superfecta paid $561.
The week’s
co-featured Open Handicap Trot saw another polester, the lass Trotting Grace
(Holland, $12.80), go the distance (:28.1,
57.1, 1:25.3, life-best 1:54.1). She defeated Smalltownthrowdown (Marohn Jr.)
by a length, with Chasin’ Dreams (Jason Bartlett), Will Take Charge (Stratton)
and Lean Hanover (Austin Siegelman) coming away with the remainder.
Tepid 2-1 choice Winning Shadow (Brennan) jumped it off while
trying to leave.
For fifth choice
Trotting Grace, a 4-year-old daughter of Cassis co-owned by Brian Carsey, Adam
Friedland & John McGill and trained by Travis Alexander, it was her third
win in 15 ’19 tries. The exacta paid $48, the triple returned $324.50 and the
superfecta paid $1,249.
Special Saturday
props to 100-1 shot Sportskeeper (Troy Beyer, $202.50), who became the longest
local shot of the season by winning the $23,000, eighth-race pace. The
exacta—$2,742—was also a season-high after 16-1 number YS Lotus (Marohn Jr.)
closed for second.
