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

Yonkers NY — Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton, $13.80) couldn’t possibly have had a better eight-hole trip than he did Saturday night (Nov. 12), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Chris Brokate photo

Bit Of A Legend N visits the winner’s circle after capturing the featured event at Yonkers on Saturday night.

In play from behind the eight-ball, the Levy Series winner found a gaping three-hole for a brief respite, then marching toward the lead. He made it around pole-sitting, 9-5 choice Rock N’ Roll World (George Brennan) before a pokey :28 opening quarter-mile.

Then came a plodding, :29 next station (:57 half), effectively ending the suspense. First Class Horse (Jason Bartlett), gapping his rivals earlier, moved first-up from fourth, but never threatened.

Bit Of A Legend N found a 1:25 three-quarters, taking a 1-1/2 lead into the lane. He whipped Rock N’ Roll World by that same margin in 1:52.3, with First Class Horse, a way-after-the-fact The Real One (Pat Lachance) and Santa Fe Beachboy (Brent Holland) rounding out the payees.

For fourth choice Bit Of A Legend N, a 7-year-old Down Under son of Bettor’s Delight owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, it was his 13th win in 27 seasonal starts ($718,450). The exacta paid $42, the triple returned $197.50 and the superfecta paid $829.

Stratton’s four-win night moved him within nine of 3,000 career victories.