BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Friday, March 6, 2020—Season-debuting Gold Orchid N (George Brennan, $11) could
not have mapped it out any better Friday night (March 6th), winning
Yonkers Raceway’s soggy $37,000 Filly and Mare Preferred Handicap Pace.
Unhurried early
from post position No. 2, Gold Orchid N saw Ba Ba Ba Banana (Matt Kakaley) set
sail through snappy early intervals of :26.4 and :55.4.
Diamondtoothgertie
(catch-driver Joe Bongiorno) moved from third, with Gold Orchid N along
for the lift. ‘Gertie’ engaged Ba Ba Ba Banana in and out of a 1:24
three-quarters, with the leader giving way readily soon thereafter. That didn’t
help tepid 2-1 choice Itty Bitty (Dan Dube), trapped in behind.
Diamondtoothgertie
ended up winning the battle, but losing the war as Gold Orchid N rolled right
by. The final margin was a widening 3¼ lengths in 1:53.2. Diamondtoothgertie
did save second over Lady Dela Renta A (Jason Bartlett), with Sandy Win (Austin
Siegelman) and Itty Bitty settling for the small envelopes.
For fourth choice Gold Orchid N, a now-6-year-old Down Under
daughter of Bettor’s Delight owned by Bamq LLC and trained by Mark Harder,
she’s off a seven-win, $120,000 season in 2019. The exacta paid $96, the triple
returned $286 and the superfecta paid $1,954 (base $2 payout, 10-cent ticket
worth $97.70).
