Carols Desire, Cowgirl Hall win Yonkers Opens
January 24, 2014,by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s pair of Friday night $33,000 Opens, a blind draw Pace for the ladies and a handicapped Trot for all with the requisite resume, were won by a first-up Carols Desire (Jason Bartlett, $20.60) and another first-up Cowgirl Hall (George Brennan, $6.30).
After pole-sitting Keeper’s Destiny (Brian Sears) strung out both slight 2-1 choice Lorrie Please (Eric Carlson) and 24-1 shot Mandy’s Mattjesty (Brennan), it was Mandy’s Mattjesty taking over. She made the lead passing a :28 opening quarter-mile, then found a :57.2 intermission.
Carols Desire — starting from post position No. 3 — moved from fifth, with Stage It Right (Mark MacDonald) on her tail. Mandy’s Mattjesty maintained the lead in and out of a 1:26.1 three-quarters, with a length advantage entering the lane.
However, her fan club would be leaving soon. Carols Desire continued her grind, eventually holding off Stage It Right by a nose in 1:55.3. Third went to an angled-out Keeper’s Destiny, with a seam-squeezing Ideal In Vegas (Matt Kakaley) and Mandy’s Mattjesty rounding out the payees.
For fifth choice Carols Desire, a 4-year-old daughter of Real Desire co-owned by Richard J. Banca and M T Wallet Enterprises and trained by Rich Banca, it was her first win in two seasonal starts. The exacta paid $169.50, with the triple returning $770.
The week’s marquee trot saw last week’s winner, Zooming (Tyler Buter), in play early. He worked around Lorenzo’s Dream (Goodell), finding early intervals of :28.4 and :59. As for Cowgirl Hall, she left into a five hole from post No. 7.
Cowgirl Hall, the 2-1 fave as the lone lass, then took up the chase. She engaged Zooming by the 1:28.2 three-quarters in an old-fashioned match race. Zooming fought the tough fight, but it was ladies first. Cowgirl Hall prevailed over Zooming by a neck in 1:56.4, with Lorenzo Dream, War Cry Hall (Bartlett) and Likeabatoutahell (Sears) settling for the small change.
For fifth choice Cowgirl Hall, a 5-year-old daughter of Cash Hall co-owned as Burke Racing by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Jack Piatt and Michael Rosenthal, it was her third win in as many ’14 tries (5-for-5 since the barn change). The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid $25.60, the triple returned $137.50 and the superfecta paid $593.
Friday night’s handle for the dozen races was $1,232,873, a single-program high thus far in 2014.