BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, November 16, 2013--Look up "perfect trip" in
the harness dictionary and you find Ardyne Ace (George Brennan) Saturday night,
winning Yonkers Raceway's $37,000 Open Handicap Pace,
Unhurried early from post position
No. 4, Ardyne Ace saw Great Vintage (Larry Stalbaum) loop Sapphire City (Brian
Sears) early, then get caught wide again as 8-5 favorite China Grill (Pat
Lachance) pulled pocket right in front of him.
A three-deep Great Vintage
eventually made the lead, paying a :26.4 price for the privilege.
After a :56.1 intermission,
Sapphire City was out from fourth. That was the back Ardyne Ace climbed aboard
as he moved out of sixth.
Great Vintage was about to be
swallowed up before the 1:24.1 three-quarters, shuffling China Grill out at the
same time. Sapphire City and Ardyne Ace opened their own private race entering
the lane, with the former owning a short lead.
However, the latter powered right
by, widening to 2½ lengths in 1:51.4. Pan from Nantucket (Eric Goodell), last
week's winner, rallied from last at the half to snatch second, with All Speed
Hanover (Brent Holland), Sapphire City and P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett)
settling for the remainder.
For Ardyne Ace, a 7-year-old Aces
and Sevens gelding trained by Jim Pollock Jr., for Ohio co-owners David
Ehrenberg II and Daniel Fawcett, he returned $21 (fifth choice) for his ninth
win in 35 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $468, with the triple returning
$1,825.
No one took home Saturday night's Pick-5
wager, so Monday’s edition (50-cent base wager, races 5 though 9), led by a
$16,174.33 double carryover, shall include a $25,000 guaranteed pool.
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 now
available daily.
