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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $37,000 co-featured Open Handicaps — a pace for the ladies and a trot for all with the recent resume — were won by a diving-inside Handsoffmycookie (Daniel Dube, $13.40) and twice-over all-age track record holder Quick Deal (George Brennan, $3.30).

Mike Lizzi photo

Handsoffmycookie was a 1:54.1 winner for Daniel Dube.

Unhurried from post position No. 2, Handsoffmycookie was away third as locally-debuting Swinging Beauty (George Brennan) worked around longshot participant Shoutoutthelights (Jason Bartlett). The invader seemed to have things as she pleased through spongy fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:25.4. There was no grief from a first-up Rock N Load (Eric Goodell), while last week’s winner — and this week’s 2-1 fave from the eight hole — Royal Cee Cee N (Brian Sears) was bringing up the rear.

Swinging Beauty widened to 2-1/4 lengths into the lane, but could not close the sale. When Shootoutthelights edged out, Handsoffmycookie took the inside route. She won going away by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54.1. Hula’s Z Tam (Pat Lachance) sat until late and rallied for third, with Shootoutthelights and Royal Cee Cee N rounding out the payees.

For fourth choice Handsoffmycookie, a 4-year-old millionairess daughter of Art Major trained by Scott DiDomenico for owner JFE Enterprises, it was her seventh win in 28 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $50.50, with the triple returning $483.50.

The weekly trotting feature saw Quick Deal, whose last two wins here wrote (1:53.3) and rewrote (1:53.2) the record book, do it again, though not as quickly or as decisively.

Eschewing an early seat from his assigned eight-hole — his first Open Handicap effort — Quick Deal, as the 3-5 choice, worked around last week’s winner, Zooming (Bartlett).

His early fractions (:27.2, :56.4, 1:25.2) were actually faster than the distaff derby on the pacing side, and the final time (1:54.1) matched the ladies of the other gait. The margin, which was a couple of lengths in and out of the final turn, was a half-length at the wire. Third went to a loose three-hole of Brando’s Muscle Man (Goodell), while Super Manning (Sears) and Melady’s Monet (Jordan Stratton) settled for the remainder.

Quick Deal, a 5-year-old Revenue S gelding trained by Ron Burke for co-owners Our Horse Cents Stable and Rossie Smith, is now eight for 20 this season (fourth consecutive victory). The exacta paid $12.80, the triple returned $72.50 and the superfecta paid $276.