Yonkers, NY — Birch Island Betty (Jim Marohn Jr., $136) and her 67-1 self charged from next-to-last Tuesday night (Jan. 28), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $18,000 10th-race pace in rather surprising fashion.

Birch Island Betty closed widest and fastest, nipping 11-10 favorite Betcha Baby by a neck in 1:55. Mike Lizzi photo.

From post position No. 7, Birch Island Betty closed widest and fastest, nipping 11-10 favorite Betcha Baby (Brent Holland) by a neck in 1:55. Sezana N (Eric Goodell) was third, with Take Abit Of Life (Matt Kakaley) fourth.

For seventh choice Birch Island Betty, a 5-year-old daughter of Big Jim co-owned (as Allard Racing) by trainer Rene Allard and Carmen Carson, it was her first win in a pair of seasonal starts. The exacta paid $471, with the triple returning $2,135 and the superfecta paid $13,106 (base $2 payout). The $2 multi-race payouts ending with Birch Island Betty were $6,035 (Pick-3) and $10,200 (Pick-4), respectively.

Earlier in the evening, the Pick-5 wager easily surpassed its $15,000 guaranteed pool when $19,503 was added to a carryover in excess of $4,400. The winning combination of 4/1/6/2/3 returned $1,810 for each correct 50-cent wager, which concluded a race before Birch Island Betty threw down her gauntlet.

Total handle for the dozen-race card was a season-high $918,830.