BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, December 16,
2017—Gokudo Hanover (Matt Kakaley, $9.80) inherited the pocket, then inhaled
the leader Saturday night (Dec. 16th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s
last-of-the-season $40,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Sitting chilly early from an assigned post
position No. 2, Gokudo Hanover watched from third as Bakersfield (Greg Merton)
made the first lead. That one gave it up to Thisjetsabookin’ (Jordan Stratton)
before a snappy :26.4 opening quarter-mile.
Thisjetsabookin’ then hung Caviart Luca
(George Brennan) for the holidays, prompting a :55.1 intermission. Shane Adam
(Jason Bartlett) moved off the cones from fifth, going around a fading Caviart
Luca and taking his shot at the lead in and out of a 1:23.4 three-quarters.
Bakersfield, surmising the leader was
done, extricated himself off the cones to get behind Shane Adam. Wrong move, as
Gokudo Hanover took this vacated space.
A resurgent Thisjetsabookin’ retained his
stubborn lead off the final turn, but was about to get swallowed up by a pair
to his inside. Gokudo Hanover rolled by, as did Killer Martini (Brent Holland),
the latter whipping the former by a couple of lengths in 1:52.4.
Thisjetsabookin’, Shane Adam and a belated
5-2 choice The Real One (Pat Lachance) picked off the minor awards.
For third
choice Gokudo Hanover, a 5-year-old Cam’s Card Shark gelding co-owned by James
Craparotta, Pat Berry Racing & Triple D Stables and trained by Scott
DiDomenico, it was his 10th win in 34 seasonal starts (four wins, a
second and a third in last six tries). The inside-number exacta paid $80.50,
with the triple returning $294.
The Raceway’s
2017 season concludes late Sunday morning (Dec. 17th), with first
post at 11:30 AM. The 11-race card features seven ‘French’ trots (races 5
through 11), the ‘New York, New York Double’ (Aqueduct’s 3rd race,
Yonkers’ 6th race) and a mandatory Pick 5 payout (50-cent base
wager, races 7 through 11).
