by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — A pocketed Lispatty (Mark MacDonald, $31.60) stalked and subdued a season-debuting Pure Country (Brett Miller) Friday night (May 19), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $55,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Gabriela Trmal photo

Lispatty comes through along the rail to defeat dual Dan Patch Award winner Pure Country at Yonkers on Friday evening.

On paper, it was a stacked sewing circle, decreased by one when Matchmaker conqueror and this week’s eight-hole assignee, Mackenzie A, was a late-for-Lasix scratch.

On the track, however, it was a nothing more than a two-speed number, with millionairess Pure County sent off a in her first Westchester appearance. From post position five, the 4-5 favorite easily worked around her pole-sitting rival before a :28 opening quarter-mile.

From there, it was a :56.4 intermission and 1:24.2 three-quarters, with Medusa (George Brennan) offering a weak, first-up try to move into third with the backfield gapping badly.

Pure Country owned a 1-1/2 length lead into the lane, but Lispatty edged inside and edged by. The margin was a neck in a season’s-best 1:52.3. Delightful Dragon (Brent Holland) was third as the 53-1 rank outsider, with Mach It A Par (Brian Sears) and Medusa rounding out the payees.

For sixth choice Lispatty, a 4-year-old daughter of McArdle owned by Gilberto Garcia-Owen and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, it was her second win in 11 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $114.50, with the triple returning $924.