BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Friday, October 4, 2013--Yonkers Raceway's Friday night $37,000 co-featured
Open Handicaps--Pace for the ladies and a Trot for all qualified--were won by a
to-the-house Royal Cee Cee N (Jim Pantaleano, $5.30) and a lane-finding
Brando's Muscle Man (Jordan Stratton, $39.60).
In the game early from post position No. 4, 8-5 favorite Royal Cee Cee N worked
around Cocoa Beach (Stratton), making the lead before a 27-second opening
quarter-mile. After a 57-second half, Rock N Soul (George Brennan) tried it
from sixth.
When Rock N Load (Dan Dube) gapped that one, Campanile (Brandon Simpson)
slipped out from third on the cones to race second-over. Meanwhile, Royal Cee
Cee N maintained her advantage in and out of the 1:25.2 three-quarters.
With a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, Royal Cee Cee N won by that exact
same margin in 1:53.4. Campanile photoed Cocoa Beach for second, with
Mibestketpsecret (Mark MacDonald) and Hula's Z Tam (Pat Lachance) rounding out
the payees.
For
Royal Cee Cee N, a 7-year-old Down Under daughter of Christian Cullen owned and
trained by Mark Harder, it was her seventh win in 22 seasonal starts. The
exacta paid $30.80, with the triple returning $112.
The featured trot saw a trio of bad actors, including 19-10 choice DW NY's Yank
(Brennan) and last week's winner, Somebody AS (Jason Bartlett).
Of those minding their manners,. He'sgotlegs (MacDonald) fronted the fray
through early intervals of :27.1 and :56.4. It was Brando's Muscle Man pocketed
from post No. 2 as leader began to buckle past the 1:26.2 three-quarters.
Likeabatoutahell (Eric Goodell) went up and over the leader, with Can I Say
(Dube) on second-up.
Likeabatoutahell was the first to the lead off the final turn. He turned the
baton over to Can I Say, but "Brando" slipped out from behind a
tiring leader, found room and went by. The margin was a half-length in 1:56.
Can I Say was second, with "Likeabat," DW's NY Yank and Fox Valley
Steffen settling for the small change.
For rank outsider (eight choice) "Brando," a 5-year-old Muscles
Yankee gelding owned and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, he's now 4-for-14
this season. The exacta paid $358.50, the triple returned $2,230 and the superfecta
paid $19,111 (base $2 payout, 10-cent ticket worth $955.55)
Saturday night is the annual Fall Harvest Series. The $400,000 event offers
eight, $50,000 races for New York-bred 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and
gaits who were not eligible for last weekend's Night of Champions, The Fall
Harvest Series goes as races two through nine on the 13-race card.
The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule continues, with first post
every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening
simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting
available around the NYRA schedule.
