by Brandon Valvo, for the SOA of NY

Yonkers, NY — Driver George Brennan will take the lines behind Lispatty, Always At My Place, and DW’s NY Yank in this weekend’s $44,000 features for distaff pacers, open pacers, and trotters at Yonkers Raceway.

Brennan shared his thoughts on his horses and their chances this weekend.

Friday, race seven, $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace, Lispatty (post four–2-1)

Lispatty finished third in a leg of the Matchmaker Series earlier this year before trying the competition in the Great Northeast Open Series in May. She earned a fourth-place check in three of five starts in that series before shipping back to Yonkers June 8. Since her return to the half-mile track, Lispatty dominated competition in two straight $22,000 overnights; she won wire-to-wire by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:52 June 8 and stopped the clock in a blistering 1:51.1 last time out June 15 in an effort that surprised even Brennan. Lispatty, a 5-year-old daughter of McArdle who has won 20 races and $524,445, won the local distaff feature four times last year.

“She’s got a good spot, she’s got the four hole. She’s been good. I’ve driven her for a couple years now and at Yonkers, she’s never been better. She went in 1:51.1 last week and at Yonkers she’s never been better. She gets around that track really good. I mean, 1:51.1, that’s a big mile that she did last week. She’s been very good and she’s actually getting better with the warmer weather. She wasn’t at her best in the colder weather in the Matchmaker. She’s going to fare good. She’s inside her competition, she’s got the four hole, she can leave really well and she fits real well in there. I’m not saying she’s the best in there, but she’s got a good spot.”

Saturday, race six, $44,000 Open Handicap Pace, Always At My Place (post four–3-1)

After going 10-for-31 last year, good for $188,963, Always At My Place is just 2-for-12 halfway through the 2018 season. He captured a leg of the George Morton Levy Series March 17 and upset in the $100,000 Levy consolation at odds of 22-1 April 21. Always At My Place enters this week’s pacing feature off a string of narrow defeats. He was second to Heaven Rocks A in a 1:50 mile in the Open Series at Pocono June 3, was beaten a head by Somewhere In L A in the local Open June 9 while pacing 1:52 and suffered a nose defeat to Western Dynasty after setting the fractions in a $27,500 overnight last Saturday.

“His last two races at Yonkers have been the best two races he’s had at Yonkers in the past two years. He gets around the track a lot better than he used to. He’s inside and he’s got a good chance. He struggles around that track a little bit, but he has an inside advantage and he’s good, he’s a good horse. He’s a solid horse, he knows how to win a horse race. Last week he got beat a lip on the wire in 1:51.1 and came home in :27.1. There’s not many horses that do that at Yonkers, come home in :27.1 and get beat on the wire. No horses come home at Yonkers in :27.1 with a mile in 1:51.1.”

Saturday, race seven, $44,000 Open Handicap Trot, DW’s NY Yank (post six–6-1)

The 9-year-old trotter proved he’s just as good as ever when winning the local Open Handicap Trot in 1:54.3 on May 26. The speedy mile saw DW’s NY Yank assigned the outside post last out June 9, which he was unable to overcome as he finished fifth, beaten 7-3/4 lengths behind Tight Lines. The earner of $1.2 million seeks his 50th victory Saturday night, but will have to do so from post six.

“That’s going to be a tough spot, he’s got the six hole and that’s a tough spot. There’s speed inside and it’s hard. He’s a good horse, he’s a 9-year-old. He’s got a track record he set as a 4-year-old of 1:54.2 and then as a 9-year-old he just won in 1:54.3. He’s still just as good, but he’s got a real hard spot. On that track, I just have to pick his spots a little bit. He is such a great horse, he’s a terrific horse, one of my favorites.”

First post time Friday and Saturday is 6:50 p.m. For entries to Friday’s races, click here. For entries to Saturday’s races, click here.