by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s pair of Friday night $33,000 Open Handicaps — a pace for the ladies and a trot for all — were won by a formful Yagonnakissmeornot (Daniel Dube, $4.90) and an equally-so DW’s NY Yank (George Brennan, $4.30).

Yagonnakissmeornot won by 3-1/4 lengths in a season’s-best 1:52.4.

Leaving as the second choice from post position No. 5, Yagonnakissmeornot worked around Summer Snow (Larry Stalbaum), making the lead before a :27.3 opening quarter-mile. From there, she gave no one else a shot, including 6-5 favorite Economy Terror (Ron Pierce). That one moved from fifth before a :57.1 intermission.

A :27.3 third quarter (1:24.4) widened the leader’s advantage, as she opened a 1-3/4 length lead into the lane. Yagonnakissmeornot then drew out, winning by 3-1/4 lengths in a season’s-best 1:52.4. Royal Cee Cee N (Brian Sears) rallied into second, with last week’s winner, Cocoa Beach (Matt Kakaley), Summer Snow and Economy Terror rounding out the payees.

For Yagonnakissmeornot, a 5-year-old daughter of The Panderosa co-owned (as Allard Racing) by trainer Rene Allard, Yves Sarazin and Kapildeo Singh, it was her third win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $32.20, with the triple returning $128.50.

Mike Lizzi photos

DW’s NY Yank was a narrow winner in the featured trot.

The week’s marquee trot saw 11-10 choice DW’s NY Yank — assigned outside his seven rivals — in play early. He made the lead from Zooming (Tyler Buter) just after a :27.2 opening interval. From there, he posted a cheap :58.2 intermission before Super Manning (Kakaley) engaged from sixth. And engage he did, hooking the leader in and out of the 1:27 three-quarters.

Those two took their beef all the way to the line, with the margin — DW’s NY Yank up a nose into the lane — the same at the 1:55.4 wire. Backstreet Hanover (Eric Carlson) split those two to finish third, beaten a head, while Zooming and Fortunista (Jason Bartlett) settled for the remainder.

For DW’s NY Yank, a 5-year-old Dilbert Hanover gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Howard Taylor, it was his fifth win in seven ’14 tries (four-for-four here). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $12.60, the triple returned $63.50 and the superfecta paid $158.