YONKERS, NY, Friday, December 21, 2012--Brando's Muscle Man (George Brennan)
lasted on the lead Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's penultimate-program
$35,000 Open Handicap Trot.
In play from post position No. 4, "Brando" worked around Master Pine
(Andy Miller), making the lead before :28.1 opening quarter-mile. A bit of a
delayed leave from just-over-even-money favorite Tober (Jason Bartlett) landed
him in the three-hole.
The leader then rated a 30-second interval (:58.1 half) before Tober was
again on the move. However, he wasn't doing much for cause going toward the
1:27 three-quarters, with Celebrity Bluechip (Matt Kakaley) second-over.
"Brando" owned a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane, and would
need much of it. Master Pine ducked inside, with Celebrity Bluechip wide.
Neither could get there, as the leader held sway by a diminishing half-length
in 1:56.4. It was Celebrity Bluechip winning the bridesmaid battle, with a
rallying Mystical Starlight (Eric Goodell) and Great Emancipator (Brian Sears)
grabbing the small change. Tober faded to sixth.
For Brando's Muscle Man, a 4-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding owned and trained
by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, he returned $7.30 (second choice) for his ninth win
in 33 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $36.40, with the triple returning
$197.50
The
Raceway wraps its 2012 live season Saturday night. The 2013 season begins
Friday, Jan, 11th. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with
afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule (which resumes
Wednesday).
