Tom Berg photo

Feeling You used the passing lane to win the Filly and Mare Open Pace on Saturday at Yonkers Raceway in 1:52.

In play early from post position No. 5, Feeling You was stuffed in behind Breakheart Pass (Jason Bartlett) before a :26.2 opening quarter-mile. (Four Starz Roe [Jordan Stratton] broke in the first turn). Meanwhile, Breakheart Pass found a 55-second intermission before last week’s winner, Keeper’s Destiny (Mark MacDonald), moved from third.

The leader was under fire in and out of the 1:23.1 three-quarters, with Keeper’s Destiny challenging and Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland) behind that one. Keeper’s Destiny grabbed the baton from Breakheart Pass early stretch, with Feeling You all dressed up with no place to race.

The latter did eventually get the passing lane, then forged by, winning by a length in 1:52. Second went to Keeper’s Destiny, with Naughtytiltheend, Breakheart Pass and Fox Valley Sage (Cat Manzi) grabbing the leftovers.

For Feeling You, a 5-year-old daughter of Cambest trained by Amber Buter for co-owners Gallicchio Racing Stable, Tyler Buter and Vincent Cannella, she returned $3.80 for her seventh win in 16 seasonal starts.

Friday night’s co-featured $36,000 Open Handicap Trot was won by Looking Hanover (MacDonald) in 1:55.4.

A double-parked Perfect Rendition (Larry Stalbaum) made the lead after 28-second opening quarter. Looking Hanover, from post No. 3, yielded to that one. A :56.4 half ensued before Perfect Rendition made his own trouble. He jumped it off down the backside going toward the 1:26 three-quarters.

That misstep left 7-5 favorite Looking Hanover on the lead, with a first-up Farifant (Goodell) alongside. After that one was rebuffed, last week’s winner, Blacktuxwhitesocks (Stratton), found room and darted through. However, Looking Hanover was saved by the wire, prevailing by a neck in 1:55.4. Blacktuxwhitesocks, Celebrity Bluechip (Bartlett), Orange Bigi (Manzi) and Neighsay Hanover (Pat Lachance) rounded out the payees.

For Looking Hanover, a 7-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding co-owned by Dawn Marie Gannon and Yannick Gingras and trained by Ed Gannon Jr., he returned $4.80 for his first win in nine ’12 tries.

— Frank Drucker

Tioga Downs
On a windy, rainy night at Tioga Downs, the first leg of the Morrisville College Sale late closer was contested with three divisions behind the gate. In the first division, race favorite Opinion Hanover left from the gate to take the field through fractions of 29.2, 1:00.3, and 1:28.4. Unchallenged throughout, Sean Bier cruised through the wire with the 4-year-old gelding in 1:57.4. Mr Fenwick was second and Permanent Joy rounded out the trifecta. In the second division, To Cash A Tune benefitted from a perfect steer by driver Mike Merton who sat along the rail third thru fractions of 27.4, 58, and 1:27.3. The battle was raging early with Dangerismybusiness and In Nomine Patri locked in a tussle on the front-end. In the stretch, Dangerismybusiness tired and Merton moved To Cash A Tune up the inside for a two length victory in 1:59. South Jersey Bugsy got up for second and In Nomine Patri held on the third. The third and final division featured an upset winner with a 21-1 shot crossing the wire first. Just like his namesake wasn’t built in a day, Rome and driver Jim Marohn, Jr. patiently sat fourth along the pylons while race leader Client Nine carved out the fractions of 28.1, 58 and 1:27.1. At the top of the stretch, Marohn angled out Rome and rolled past the race leaders stopping the timer in 1:58.3.

Cal-Expo
Winners-Over trotters, racing for a purse of $6,800, were featured at Cal Expo on a hot Friday night (June 1), on which the well taken care of Alpine Hawk won his third in the last four. Owned by Jim Winske and trained by Gordie Graham, Alpine Hawk held on to win ($4.40) by a half of one-length, in 1:57.2, a seasonal best. Giles L S Hanover finished a clear second, and Broadway Victory (John Mc Keon Jr.) finished five lengths farther back, in third.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Jezzy was making her third start of the season in Friday night’s open trot at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Ray Schnittker trained trotting mare had a year for the ages as a 3-year-old last season, earning more than a half million dollars, in large part in the New York Sire Stakes circuit. Making her third 2012 start on Friday night, Jezzy (Credit Winner) moved out to the early lead and never looked back. Jay Randall sat behind the talented trotting mare as they scored a 1-3/4 length victory, stopping the timer in 1:56.1. Grand Victory (Mark Beckwith) came on for second in the $18,500 open while Lorenzo Dream (Billy Dobson) settled for third. Jezzy’s win was her 21st in just 32 career starts.