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

Yonkers, NY — Favored Dan Patch Award winner Obrigado (Mark MacDonald, $4.20) pounced from the pocket Sunday afternoon (Aug. 19), winning Yonkers Raceway’s featured $44,000 off-going Open Handicap Trot. The weekly trotting feature went at the flat mile, the 11th of 12 races and well after the four added-distance ‘French’ races.

Katy Gazzini photo

Obrigado collects his second win of the season on Sunday afternoon at Yonkers Raceway.

Generously assigned post position No. 2, Obrigado worked around polester Dewycolorintheline (Ray Schnittker) as outside number In Secret (George Brennan) hurdled his six foes and made the lead.

After early intervals of :27.1 and :56.1, Such An Angel (Brent Holland) tried it first-up from fourth. The bid was both brief and poor with In Secret finding a 1:24.3 three-quarters.

He took a 1-1/2 lead into the lane, but Obrigado was lurking. That one edged out and edged away, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in 1:55. Charmed Life (Steve Smith) overcame a weak tow to grab second, with In Secret, Andy Ray (Jason Bartlett) and Dewycolorintheline rounding out the payees.

For world champion Obrigado, an 8-year-old Boy Band gelding co-owned by trainer Paul Kelley, Linwood Higgins, S R F Stable & Stable 45, it was his second win in five seasonal starts (career 44-for-90, earnings over $1.76 million). The exacta paid $38, the triple returned $244 and the superfecta paid $542.

Sunday’s verse of the ‘New York, New York Double’ featured a winning combination of 1-Glory to Kitten (part of entry, Saratoga’s first race) and 7–Deo (Yonkers’ third race), returning $7.70 for every correct $1 ticket. Total pool was $6,992.

The next Sunday matinee is Aug. 26 (post time TBA).