BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Sunday, February 25, 2018—All
together now, ‘Taking to the off-going like a duck to water…’
Rubber Duck (catch-driver Matt Kakaley,
$18.40) waddled home fastest Sunday afternoon (Feb. 25th), winning
Yonkers Raceway’s sloppy $50,000 Open Handicap Trot.
The field of nine (reduced by one after a
nose-to-gate defection) went as first of seven ‘French’ trots, with Rubber Duck
starting from an assigned 10-hole. Thus, he had no choice but to watch early as
lass NF Happenstance (Jack Parker Jr.) offered her customary leave.
Wide early from behind the ‘seven-ball’
after that scratch, she worked around 17-10 favorite In Secret (George Brennan)
after a :28.1 opening quarter-mile.
It was a :57.4 half and 1:28.2
three-quarters before Melady’s Monet (Jason Bartlett) made his second move.
Getting away fourth, he went after NF Happenstance going toward to the 1:57.2
milepost. However, Melady’s Monet wasn’t the problem.
Le Reveur N (Dan Dube) went wide, Rubber
Duck even wider. NF Happenstance did owned a length-and-a-half lead into the
lane, but the hooves were getting heavy. In Secret edged out of the pocket,
while Rubber Duck continued his bid.
The latter went right past the former,
winning by a couple of lengths while getting the mile-and-a-quarter in
2:27.4. Le Reveur N, NF Happenstance and Money Maven (Jordan Stratton)
settled for the remainder.
For fifth choice Rubber Duck, a 6-year-old Muscle Mass
ridgling Alberta co-owned by Blain & Erna Corbeil and trained by Jennifer
Bongiorno, it was his second win in four seasonal starts. The exacta paid
$58.50, with triple returning $375.50.
Sunday’s
return of the ‘New York, New York Double’ offered a winning combination of
1-Westerdale (Aqueduct’s 3rd race) and 9-Uva Hanover (Yonkers’ 5th
race) paid $60.75 for every correct $1 wager. Total pool was $5,900.
