YONKERS, NY,
Saturday, February 2, 2019—Rockathon (Jordan Stratton, $10.80) and Weslynn
Dancer (Matt Kakaley, $33.80) divided the distinction Saturday night (Feb. 2nd),
winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $44,000 Open Handicaps.
Pole-assigned
Rockathon seated his adult-table pacing elders, including just-over-even-money
favorite Air Strike (Brent Holland). After early intervals of :27.2 and :56.1, Air Strike took out of
third, mildly engaging by a 1:24.3 three-quarters.
Rockathon owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, but a
stubborn Air Strike wound not go quietly into the night. He did sustain the
bid, but missed a half-length in 1:53.2. Betttor’s Fire N (Ron Cushing) rolled
from last to grab third, with a pocketed Our Zak Whitby A (George Brennan) and
a tough-trip Christen Me N (Kakakey) settling for the remainder.
For
third choice Rockathon, a 4-year-old Pet Rock gelding co-owned by (trainer)
Ricky Bucci and Blue Meadow Farm, it was his first win in a pair of seasonal
starts. The exacta paid $30.80, the triple returned $494 and the superfecta
paid $3,065.
The marquee trot saw 3-10 choice Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Dube) get stung early
by Mostinterestingman (Troy Beyer) through a :27.2 opening quarter-mile. He
then rated a :29.2 next substation (:56.4 intermission), but the damage had
been done.
Weslynn Dancer—from
assigned post position No. 4—and Melady’s Monet (Stratton) began to advance
from the back, getting some inroads in and out of a 1:25.3. Smalltownthrowdown
took a length-and-a-quarter lead off the final turn, but was tiring.
Lone lass Weslynn
Dancer went by, as did ‘Melady,’ with the former prevailing by a short nose in
the fastest local trot mile of the season. Smalltownthrowdown faded to third,
with Lily’s Swan Pond (Joe Bongiorno) and Mostinterestingman flipping the final
two envelopes after an interference placement.
For
fourth choice Weslynn Dancer, a 5-year-old daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe
co-owned by Barbara & James Boese and trained by Richard Banca, it was her
first win in three ’19 tries. The exacta paid $121.50, the triple returned
$316.50 and the superfecta paid $3,133.
