Yonkers, NY — Jordan Stratton took down both halves of Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $42,000 Open Handicaps Saturday night (Dec. 7), doing so with Will Take Charge and big-table-debuting Raukapuka Ruler N.

Will Take Charge returns to the winner’s circle at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday evening. Besjon Doda photo.

It was odds-on Will Take Charge ($2.90) who killed ‘em softly—fractions-wise—in the week’s marque trot. Winning the post positions five-through-seven draw, he left, working around Winning Shadow (George Brennan) right around the 28-second opening quarter-mile. After a :57.2 intermission, the returning Obrigado (Dan Dube) surprised by moving first-up from fourth.

A 30-second third quarter (1:27.2) allowed Obrigado to hang around before slowing backing way. Meanwhile, Will Take Charge, who had faltered late in his past two tries, owned a 1-1/2 length lead into the lane. He defeated Lean Hanover (Jim Marohn Jr.) by that exact margin in 1:56.1 with a closing Swansea (Austin Siegelman), Winning Shadow and Sumatra (Jason Bartlett) settling for the remainder.

For millionaire Will Take Charge, a 6-year-old Kadabra gelding co-owned by (trainer) Jeff Gillis, Mac Nichol and Gerald Stay, it was his sixth win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $40, the triple returned $217 and the superfecta paid $704.

The weekly adult pace saw Raukapuka Ruler N ($6.80)—from post three—finish what he started (:28.1, :56.3, 1:23.2, life-best-matching 1:52.3). He repelled first-up Heaven’s Gait (Brennan) down the backside, then owned a 1-1/2 length lead in and out of the final turn. Saying Grace N (Marohn Jr.), the 17-10 fave who had angled out of the pocket, made up some ground but missed a length A late-arriving The Real One (Pat Lachance) was third, with Mac’s Jackpot (Brent Holland) and Sunfire Blue Chip (Siegelman) grabbing the minors.

For second choice Raukapuka Ruler N, a 6-year-old Down Under Bettor’s Delight gelding owned by (trainer) Peter Tritton, it was his fifth win in 11 2019 attempts. The exacta paid $23.60, the triple returned $253.50 and the superfecta paid $1,106.