HIGHEST PEAK, ACT NOW WIN HUDSON, LADY MAUD, RESPECTIVELY

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, October 25, 2014—Fair assumption that if you asked Ake Svanstedt which trotter he’d win a Yonkers Raceway stakes with Saturday night, Highest Peak would not have been his answer.

Under the category of “that’s why you race ‘em,” Highest Peak skimmed the cones in the $124,590 Hudson Filly for 3-year-old distaff trotters (1:58.2). Leaving from inside her five rivals, the good fortune came about—in no small part—by both halves of the quarter-on-the-dollar favored entry making breaks.

First, it was two-time New York Sire Stakes champ Market Rally (Jim Morrill Jr.), then Avalacious (Mark MacDonald). Market Rally recovered to grab the lead away from Highest Peak after the intermission (:30, 1:00), but despite soft fractions, the tough trip would end up biting her. After a 1:29 three-quarters and a length lead into the lane, she was done.

Highest Peak slipped inside, defeating Mistresswithmuscle (Tim Tetrick) by a length-and-a-half in 1:58.2. Third went to Bambino Supreme (George Brennan), with Yoga (Brett Miller) and the misbehaving entrymates bringing up the rear.

For third choice Highest Peak, a daughter of Andover Hall  owned and trained by her driver, it’s her biggest win to date. She returned $18 (place prices were a wild $70.50 and $120) for her fifth win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $232, with no triple wagering due to the abbreviated number of wagering interests.

“She wasn’t herself at Lexington, but  we worked on a few things and she was better tonight,” assistant trainer Bernie Noren said.

The soph pacing lasses were summarily dismissed by odds-on Act Now (George Brennan, $2.40) in the $150,854 final of the Lady Maud. Moving when ready from post position No. 2, she sashayed though intervals of :28.2, :56.4, 1:24.3 and 1:53. The lead, seven lengths in and out of the final turn, was a wrapped-up 5½ lengths at the wire.

Fancy Desire (Dave Miller) was second despite being out the mile, with Beautiful Lady (Matt Kakaley), Anagada (John Campbell) and Do Your Job (Eric Carlson) settling for the remainder,.

For Act Now, a Western Ideal miss co-owned by Joseph Davino & Patrick O’Brien and trained by Nick Drennan, it was her fifth win in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta paid $9.20, with the triple returning $30.40.

“She seemed a bit hot and was hitting the bike, so I probably went faster with her than I wanted,” Brennan said.  “She just has a lot of talent. I drove her as if she was the best, and she was.”

ALL BETS OFF WINS 59TH MESSENGER STAKES

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, October 25, 2014—If there was horse who had some ‘splainin’ to do coming into Saturday night’s 59^h edition of the Messenger Stakes, it was All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley). A dull effort in last week’s lone Yonkers Raceway elimination race—tiring on a soft lead and finishing fourth—certainly lessened the load on his bandwagon.

Those who stayed on the ride were rewarded, as the New York Sire Stakes champion gave nothing else a chance, winning the final jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown for 3-year-olds in a snappy 1:51.1.

Leaving from post position No. 6 (“No way I was ducking him tonight,” Kakaley said), he scorched the scenery (:26.3, :55.1, 1:23) en route to the fastest edition of the Messenger held here.

McWicked (Dave Miller), as the 1-2 favorite, was unhurried leaving into a four-hole, but never came close to the leader/winner when making his second move toward the three-quarters.  That compromised last week’s elim winner Luck Be Withyou (Tim Tetrick), who went wide early and finished well, but not nearly well enough.

All Bets Off, up four lengths turning for home won by 2 ¾ lengths over Luck Be Withyou, with McWicked (now a seasonal millionaire) settling for third, beaten 6½ lengths. Lyonssomewhere (Brett Miller) and 133-1 shot Western Conquest (Brent Holland) earned the final two pay envelopes, with National Debt (Jason Bartlett), winner’s entrymate Forty Five Red (George Brennan) and Stevensville (Mark MacDonald) rounding out the order.   

For All Bets Off, a $7,000 (Harrisburg) son of Bettor’s Delight co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino, Panhellenic Stable and Rosemary Shelswell, he returned $11.80 (third choice)  for his 11^th win in 15 seasonal starts. The $250,000 payday makes him a career millionaire ($1.095,292). The exacta paid $54.50, with the triple returning $95.

“He was just flat last week (elim), and I think what Ronnie (Burke) said was correct. It was just his second race in five weeks, and it showed,” Kakaley said. “Tonight, he was the horse I’m used to driving. It’s by far the biggest win of my career.”

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NUNCIO WINS 60TH YONKERS TROT

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, October 25, 2014—Yonkers Raceway didn’t exactly hand Nuncio (John Campbell) the money Saturday night. He had to go through the obligatory Yonkers Trot compulsories, but the end result was  surprise to no one in particular.

Nuncio strolled to a 2¼-length, 1:56 win in the 60^th Trot, his second Trotting Triple Crown victory of the season and Yonkers Trot No. 3 for his Hall of Fame driver.

His job made that much easier when Gural Hanover—an elimination winner last week, as was Nuncio—scratched sick, pole-inheriting Nuncio claimed this race in short order. After allowing Don Dorado (Tim Tetrick) the first lead from the far outside, Nuncio, as the puny 1-20 choice, made front.

Waltzing through a 29-second opening quarter-mile and :58.4 half,  he widened down the backside while Don Dorado broke and left the course. After a :28.4 third quarter (1:27.3), Nuncio opened to three lengths in and out of the final turn.

Though drifting through the lane, he held sway over an improved effort by Datsyuk (Charlie Norris). Resolve (Dave Miller) was third, beaten 11 lengths, with Expressive Action (Jason Bartlett) and Journey (Dan Dube) completing the cashers. Breakers King City (George Brennan) and Don Dorado rounded out the order.

For Nuncio ($2.10 to win), a $7,000 (Harrisburg) son of Andover Hall owned by Stall Tz and trained by Jimmy Takter, it was his 10^th win in 15 seasonal starts. The ultra-consistent sort, who won the Kentucky Futurity before invading Yonkers, has never missed worse than second (15 wins, 10 seconds) in 25 lifetime starts ($1,758,970).

For Takter, who completed his personal 2014 Trotting Triple Crown (he drove Trixton to a win in the Hambletonian, where Nuncio was second), it was his fourth Yonkers Trot in the past six seasons.

The exacta here paid $6.40, with the triple returning $15.20.

“When you’re at this class, every horse has desire, every horse has speed and every horse has talent,” Campbell said. “What makes Nuncio so special is brings those things every start. He takes it to the next level.

“I feel sorry for those (Gural Hanover) people, not to be able to race, and it changed the complexion of the race. Regardless, I thought my horse was the one to beat.”

The 13-race handle was $1,105,936, second-highest total of the season.