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

Yonkers, NY — Jason Bartlett picked up where Brian Sears left off.

After Sears won 13 of Yonkers Raceway’s previous two dozen races (with one dead-heat) over the previous two racing nights, it was Bartlett in the big chair on Tuesday.

Tom Berg photo

Fiesty Flyer was one of five winners on the Tuesday program for Jason Bartlett.

Bartlett won five races during a soggy Tuesday night. He began at the beginning, winning the $11,000 pacing opener with Scottie C ($8.70) in 1:56.1.

After a longshot breaker in the second race, Bartlett was a going-away winner (at 20-1) with Gracie’s Boy ($42.20) in the $9,000 third race pace (1:57.4).

He then lasted on the lead in the $9,000 fourth race pace with Mr Hollywood Starz ($16.60) in a maiden-breaking 1:59.

Bartlett finished second with a fifth race catch-drive, a bothered fourth in the sixth race and sat out the seventh before May Day ($7.30) went the distance in the $12,000 eighth race pace (1:57).

Win No. 5 saw Bartlett and a long-gone Fiesty Flyer ($6.90) roll from the pole in the $13,000 10th race pace (1:56.4).

Bartlett was up the track with an outsider in race 11, then had the nerve to take the last event off.

Bartlett started the evening fourth in the local driver standings, behind Sears, Matt Kakaley and George Brennan.