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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s pair of Friday night, $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps — for trotters along with prim and proper pacers — were won by Affirmed Action (Jason Bartlett, $19.80) and Warrawee Koine (Bartlett again, $12).

Affirmed Action was a 1:56 winner in the Friday night featured trot.

In play early from post position No. 6, Affirmed Action landed in a three-hole behind Fuel Cell (Brian Sears) and Mymom’sablizzard (Larry Stalbaum). Meanwhile, Brando’s Muscle Man (George Brennan), last week’s winner and this week’s eight hole assignee, settled in fourth.

After early weigh stations of :27.4 and :57, Brando’s Muscle Man, as the 6-5 favorite, was out and moving again. He towed Super Manning (Dan Dube) along toward the 1:26.1 three-quarters. It was Fuel Cell hanging on to a short lead in and out of the final turn, but company was coming.

Not only did Brando’s Muscle Man continue those advances, but Super Manning was wide off that one. Then, there was Affirmed Action, skimming the cones and moving fastest of all. The short route was the best route, with Affirmed Action going on to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:56. Second went to Brando’s Muscle Man, with Super Manning, Fuel Cell and Celebrity Bluechip (Matt Kakaley) grabbing the small change.

For fourth choice Affirmed Action, a 7-year-old statebred and homebred son of Conway Hall owned and trained by John Grasso, it was his first win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $79, with the triple returning $491.50.

Mike Lizzi photos

Warrawee Koine gave Jason Bartlett a sweep of the Friday night co-features.

The weekly femme feature saw Warrawee Koine go from first out to first home. Assgined post No. 6, she left to the lead around a season-debuting Billmar Scooter (Eric Goodell) before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile.

Moonlit Dragon (Sears), the 9-5 fave, eschewed her ealy three hole to take over not long after that. After a :56.4 imtermission, it was last week’s victress, Hot List (Kalaley), tuning up the heat. Getting away fifth from her ordered eight hole, she was back at it down the backside.

However, it was just token pressure against Moonlit Dragon by the 1:25 three-quarters, with the leader owning a 1-1/2 length advantage entering the lane. Warrawee Koine, though, had the last say. She ducked in and edged away late, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1. Hot List saved the bottom of the ticket, with Don’t Point At (Jeff Gregory) and Chief Karen (Stalbaum) settling for the minor awards.

For Warrawee Koine, a 7-year-old daughter of Astreos trained by Tony O’Sullivan for owner Dr. Michael Wilson, it was her third win (as the fourth choice) in a half-dozen ’13 tries. The exacta paid $31, the triple returned $188 and the superfecta paid $574.