Itzaziam wins $73,000 final of YR/SOA Bonus Trot Series
April 30, 2014,by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Itzaziam (Pat Berry) closed relentlessly to pick off odds-on Bambino Glide (Daniel Dube) on Tuesday night (April 29), winning the $73,500 final of the Yonkers Raceway/Standardbred Owners Association of New York Bonus Trotting Series.
Uninvolved early from post position No. 3, Itzaziam saw Wisenheimer (Yannick Gingras) and 93-1 Swishnflick (Larry Stalbaum) both be put in the game early. Meanwhile, 1-4 fave Bambino Glide found himself parked two turns, finally getting the lead between a :28 opening quarter-mile and a :57 intermission.
He continued his advantage in and out of the 1:26.3 three-quarters, with Itzaziam a seemingly-uninvolved sixth from third-over. However, early troubles getting the lead would bite the favorite late. Itzaziam made up nearly five lengths through the rainy lane, getting to Bambino Glide by a half-length in 1:57. Swishnflick nipped Wisenheimer for third, with Rock Of Cashel (Jeff Gregory) grabbing the final pay envelope.
Itzaziam, a 6-year-old Harry’s Star Ranger gelding co-owned by his driver and James Craparotta and trained by Frank Scamporino, Jr., returned $32.80 (fifth choice) for his sixth win (third consecutive) in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta paid $65.50, the triple returned $1,466 and the superfecta paid $3,676.
“I was planning on leaving with him, but everyone else seemed to be leaving,” Berry said. “You can’t be too aggressive with him early, because he gets hot.
“Early on, I thought we had a shot. At the three-quarters, I thought I’d be lucky to get third because there was a lot of traffic, but he just kept going.”
A $30,000 series consolation was won by Monroe County (George Brennan, $3.50) in 1:57.2.