Yonkers, NY – ‘Twas a pair of Yonkers Raceway $35,000 Preferred Handicaps highlighting the Saturday night (Nov. 23) soiree.

Stormy Kromer ($36.80) and Brent Holland were upset winners of the featured trot at Yonkers Saturday. Mike Lizzi Photo.

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 1-1/2 lengths lead into the lane, but was unable to close the sale for the second week in a row. Stormy Kromer—from post position five—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).

Jason Bartlett guided favorite Jack’s Legend N ($3) to victory in Saturday’s featured pace at Yonkers. Mike Lizzi Photo.

The weekly adult-table pace saw odds-on favorite 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. That one had a 1-1/2 lengths 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 and 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.