Yonkers Offers Revealing Saturday Card
In the penultimate Saturday night card of the year-round standardbred meet that Yonkers Raceway offers, a handful of horses delivered performances that signified a readiness to prevail next weekend.
In the opening race on the card, In The Huddle (Jordan Stratton) left to secure good position, gained command before the quarter, set modest fractions from there and sprinted clear in the lane to score in 1:53. A four-year-old American Ideal gelding trained by Joe DeCarlo, In The Huddle ended a brief trio of near misses to notch his ninth win from 22 starts and pushed his seasonal earnings past $77,000.
Then right at the midway point of the card, First Class Horse (Matt Kakaley) overcame post seven to clear Mach It So before the opener, carved out wicked fractions of 27, 54.3 and 1:21.4 then edged clear of Mach It So and held safe favored The Real One for a length score in 1:50.3.
A four-year-old Western Terror stallion trained by Thomas Milici, First Class Horse rebounded from three narrow setbacks at this level to notch his sixth win from 31 starts this year and lower his lifetime mark in the process. First Class Horse was second to The Real One when that pacer established a new all-age track record of 1:50 flat on Nov. 19. The runner-up showed little interest early but closed willingly in the lane to garner the place spot while Mach It So, idle since finishing sixth in the $100,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft, gave way late.
In the opening race on the card, In The Huddle (Jordan Stratton) left to secure good position, gained command before the quarter, set modest fractions from there and sprinted clear in the lane to score in 1:53. A four-year-old American Ideal gelding trained by Joe DeCarlo, In The Huddle ended a brief trio of near misses to notch his ninth win from 22 starts and pushed his seasonal earnings past $77,000.
Then right at the midway point of the card, First Class Horse (Matt Kakaley) overcame post seven to clear Mach It So before the opener, carved out wicked fractions of 27, 54.3 and 1:21.4 then edged clear of Mach It So and held safe favored The Real One for a length score in 1:50.3.
A four-year-old Western Terror stallion trained by Thomas Milici, First Class Horse rebounded from three narrow setbacks at this level to notch his sixth win from 31 starts this year and lower his lifetime mark in the process. First Class Horse was second to The Real One when that pacer established a new all-age track record of 1:50 flat on Nov. 19. The runner-up showed little interest early but closed willingly in the lane to garner the place spot while Mach It So, idle since finishing sixth in the $100,000 Potomac Pace at Rosecroft, gave way late.
Then one race later in a split, non-winners of $15,000 last five starts class for pacers, Cowboy Terrier (Jason Bartlett) quarter moved to command, got a breather to the half in 57.3 and edged clear late to score in 1:52.3 for Milici. The six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding now owns a 5-6-3 slate from 30 starts this year after prevailing as the even-money choice.
While Cowboy Terrier scored as the choice from the rail, second choice Provacativeprincen (Stratton) rallied from last early to finish third in a good effort. A winner of his U.S. debut one week earlier, Provacativeprincen virtually had no chance attempting to rally behind dull cover into a 55 flat back half, but he finished willing late and remains eligible to the same class next weekend.
Then one race later in the $35,000 Preferred Handicap for pacers, Somewhere Fancy (Kakaley) benefited from a pocket trip behind 4-5 choice Santa Fe Beachboy (Bartlett), surged to command midstretch then held safe Roland N Rock (Stratton) to score in 1:52 for trainer Rene Allard. Somewhere Fancy now owns a 6-4-9 slate and $115,000 bankroll from 33 starts this year and likely earned a return trip back to the OpenHandicap next weekend.
Several races later in the finale, PH Supercam (Bartlett) benefited from a pocket trip behind Border Control N (George Brennan) and overhauled that one easily in the lane to score in 1:53.2 in a non-winners of $25,000 last five starts class. A nine-year-old Million Dollar Cam gelding trained by Jeff Bamond, Jr., PH Supercam ended a mild drought and now sports a 5-6-5 slate and $250,000 bankroll from 31 starts this year and likely earned a return engagement in the Preferred.
While PH Supercam benefited from the rail and the pocket journey, Polak A (Stratton) finished third after a prolonged first over journey and attempting to overcome a 55 flat back half. Like Provacativeprincen several races earlier, Polak A raced well in defeat and gets to remain in the same class next weekend and merits the right to make amends on the final Saturday night card of the season.
While Cowboy Terrier scored as the choice from the rail, second choice Provacativeprincen (Stratton) rallied from last early to finish third in a good effort. A winner of his U.S. debut one week earlier, Provacativeprincen virtually had no chance attempting to rally behind dull cover into a 55 flat back half, but he finished willing late and remains eligible to the same class next weekend.
Then one race later in the $35,000 Preferred Handicap for pacers, Somewhere Fancy (Kakaley) benefited from a pocket trip behind 4-5 choice Santa Fe Beachboy (Bartlett), surged to command midstretch then held safe Roland N Rock (Stratton) to score in 1:52 for trainer Rene Allard. Somewhere Fancy now owns a 6-4-9 slate and $115,000 bankroll from 33 starts this year and likely earned a return trip back to the OpenHandicap next weekend.
Several races later in the finale, PH Supercam (Bartlett) benefited from a pocket trip behind Border Control N (George Brennan) and overhauled that one easily in the lane to score in 1:53.2 in a non-winners of $25,000 last five starts class. A nine-year-old Million Dollar Cam gelding trained by Jeff Bamond, Jr., PH Supercam ended a mild drought and now sports a 5-6-5 slate and $250,000 bankroll from 31 starts this year and likely earned a return engagement in the Preferred.
While PH Supercam benefited from the rail and the pocket journey, Polak A (Stratton) finished third after a prolonged first over journey and attempting to overcome a 55 flat back half. Like Provacativeprincen several races earlier, Polak A raced well in defeat and gets to remain in the same class next weekend and merits the right to make amends on the final Saturday night card of the season.
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