by Frank Drucker, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway Publicity Director

YONKERS, NY — Lemon Pepper and Tactical Rein N did it the hard way–as in off the pace–winning their respective $25,000 (new and improved purse) Open Handicaps Friday night at Yonkers Raceway.

Lemon Pepper did the honors in the weekly trotting feature. With Pat Berry driving for trainer Dennis Laterza, the 8-year-old Cumin gelding was able to grind by pace-setting Calchip’s Muscle (Tom Jackson) in early stretch, then hold off the designs of Designable (Jim Marohn) by a long neck in 2:00.1.

Leaving from post position No. 4, Lemon Pepper was away third, behind “Calchip’s” and tepid 5-2 favorite Norse Hall (Stephane Bouchard). Party Lad (Eric Goodell), who also had eyes for the front, jumped it off and was not heard from again.

Calchips’s Muscle led through fractions of :28.4, 1:00.1 and 1:30, but wilted under the first-up pressure of Lemon Pepper.

That one pulled just after the half and had enough to put away those in front of and behind him. Norse Hall was third, beaten a length-and-a-half, with Calchip’s Muselce and Witch and Famous (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) also making money.

Lemon Pepper, owned by Howard Schneider, returned to Westchester off a dull effort in his seasonal debut at Monticello. He returned $8.30 as the second choice, leading a $103.50 exacta and $1,085 triple. The victory vaulted Lemon Pepper over the $400,000 career earnings plateau.

Tactical Rein N, also making amends after throwing in a clunker in her most recent try out of town, took the Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace for patient trainer/driver Pat Lachance.

Assigned the two-hole at the outset, the 8-year-old Down Under daughter of Road Machine was biding her time behind the early scrum. Sweet Celebration (Aldrich Jr.) and Township Kat (Larry Stalbaum) mixed it up through divisions of :28.2, :58.3 and 1:28.1.

Sweet Celebration actually had a couple of lengths to play with off the final turn, but company was coming. Missthrill (Mark Beckwith) launched a wide bid, but it was Tactical Rein N who saved ground, then angled out as the fresh foe.

She was up nearing the wire, prevailing by a half-length over Sweet Celebration in 1:57.4. Missthrill was third, while 11-10 favorite Stonebridge Kisses (Bouchard)–who had too far to come from her ordered eight-hole–and Cannae Cindy (Jeff Gregory) completed the cashers.

Tactical Rein N, owned by MJGB Racing Stables, paid $11 for her first win in three ’07 work days/nights. She went past $259,000 in career cash with the victory. The exacta paid $32.80, with the triple good for $377.

Live racing is currently offered at Yonkers with six programs per week–Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7:40 PM, along with a Tuesday matinee at 1.

Harness and thoroughbred simulcasting is available seven days a week, while Empire City’s nearly 4,200 video gaming machines are in play daily from 10 AM-2 AM.