BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Saturday, November 23, 2019—‘Twas a pair of Yonkers Raceway $35,000 Preferred
Handicaps highlighting the Saturday night (Nov. 23rd) soiree.
Stormy Kromer
(Brent Holland, $36.80) edged past Will Take Charge (Jordan Stratton) in the
week’s marquee trot, snapping that one in a season’s-best 1:54. The
latter retook from the eventual winner, throwing down subsections of :27.3, :57 and 1:25.2 while Top Flight
Angel (Eric Goodell) offered a weak, first-up bid.
Will Take Charge owned a length-and-a-half lead into the
lane, but was unable to close the sale for the second week in a row. Stormy
Kromer—from post position No. 5—eased out and by, the margin a neck. Lean
Hanover (Jim Marohn Jr.) was a best-of-the-rest third, with Swansea (Austin
Siegelman) and 17-10 choice Melady’s Monet (George Brennan) settling for the
small change.
For sixth choice
Stormy Kromer, a 5-year-old Dejarmbro gelding owned by Tom Ceraso Jr. and
trained by Paul Stafford, it was his eighth win in 35 seasonal starts. The
exacta paid $123.50, the triple returned $1,193 and the superfecta paid $13,076
(base $2 payout).
The weekly
adult-table pace saw odds-on fave Jack’s Legend N (Jason Bartlett, $3) get the
memo just in time.
Assigned outside
his five rivals, he floated from the gate, but landed only fifth as The Wall
(Brennan) rolled intervals of :27.4;
:56.3 and 1:24. The one had a length-and-a-half lead in and out of the final
turn, with San Domino A (Holland) pocketed and The Real One (Pat Lachance)
pacing in place first-up from third.
All the while, Jack’s Legend N was lagging to catch his tow,
then went wide. The Wall fought the good fight, but the people’s preference did
get there, winning by a half-length in a life-best 1:51.2. The Real One, San
Domino A and invading Tookadiveoffdipper (Stratton) picked off the
remainder,
For Jack’s Legend
N, a 5-year-old Down Under Bettor’s Delight gelding co-owned by (trainer)
Richard Banca, Barbara & James Boese, it was his sixth win in 10 ’19 tries.
The exacta paid $11.60, the triple returned $31.40 and the superfecta paid $51.
Special Saturday
props to venerable vets Somewhere in L A (Bartlett, $16) and Bit of a Legend N
(Stratton, ), who were a nose apart in the $22,000, 11th-race pace
(1:52.1). That was a now 44-time winner ($1,799,046) just holding off a 53-time
winner ($2,562,871) with a combined 328 career starts.
