BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, June 22,
2019—Hared-knocking Will Take Charge (Jordan Stratton, $3.20) did not have to
work that hard Saturday night (June 22st), winning Yonkers Raceway’s
$44,000 co-featured Open Handicap Trot…becoming a career millionaire along the
way.
Winning the 3-thru-6 draw among the
half-dozen, the odds-on number strolled around the surroundings (:28, 57.3, 1:26, 1:54), the mile
matching a season’s-best effort. Pole-assigned In Secret (George Brennan) could
not match strides from the pocket, beaten a length-and-a-quarter. A
ground-saving Smalltownthrowdown (Jim Marohn Jr.) was third, with a returning
Melady’s Monet (Eric Goodell) and Chasin’ Dreams (Jason Bartlett) picking off
the lesser loot.
Trotting
Grace (Brent Holland) was outrun.
For Will Take Charge, a 6-year-old Kadabra
gelding co-owned by (trainer) Jeff Gillis and Mac Nichol, it was his third win
in nine seasonal starts (life 24-for-85, $1,006,228). The exacta (two wagering
choices) paid $6.70, the triple returned $33.80 and the superfecta paid $91.50.
Stratton then doubled his pleasure in the
$44,000 Open Handicap Pace, overcoming losing the 4-thru-8 getaway with a
third-up Micky Gee N ($20).
With no choice but to spectate early,
Micky Gee N saw 3-2 choice Rock Diamonds N (Ron Cushing) lead through spiffy
intervals of :25.4, 55 seconds flat
and 1:22.2. Getting numbers to ‘run at,’ Micky Gee N closed crisply,
getting the better of Classy Dragon (Joe Bongiorno) late. That one attacked the
favorite, eventually winning the battle but losing the war.
Micky Gee N
prevailed by three-quarters of a length in 1:50.4, with 45-1 rank outsider
Proven Desire (Marohn Jr.) third. Dr. J Hanover (Brent Holland) and
Toatsmygoats (Brennan) came away with the remainder, while Rock Diamonds N
tired to seventh among the octet.
For fifth choice Micky Gee N, a 6-year-old
Down Under Bettor’s Delight gelding owned by William Hartt and trained Lance
Hudson, it was his fifth win in a dozen ’19 tries. The exacta paid
$159.50, the triple returned $1,153 and the superfecta paid $5,546.
