by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Fat Man’s Alley (Brent Holland, four winners on the 12-race card) matched Yonkers Raceway’s all-age track record, winning Saturday night’s $46,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Sean Hamrock photo

Fat Man’s Alley (Brent Holland) equaled the all-age track record (1:50.2) on Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway.

Assigned inside his seven rivals, Fat Man’s Alley protected the pocket while Great Vintage (Larry Stalbaum) was off and winging through intervals of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:22.4. Shoobee’s Place (Jim Pantaleano), last week’s first-up winner, tried that same tact again…with rotten results.

Great Vintage owned a length-and-a-half lead entering the lane, but was swallowed up on both sides. Fat Man’s Alley edged out from the two-hole and went by, whipping the cone-skimming Malak Uswaad N (Pat Lachance) by a length in 1:50.2. That effort equaled the all-age local standard of the then-4-year-old gelding Sapphire City (also with Holland driving) last September.

“The thing about him is he always finishes every week,” Holland said of Fat Man’s Alley.

“l thought If I was able to him out (of the gate), we had a big shot.”

The effort also established a new track record for aged pacing geldings.

Great Vintage saved the bottom of the ticket, with locally-debuting Dream Out Loud N (Jordan Stratton) and Eighteen (Dan Dube) grabbing the remainder. Shoobee’s Place faded to sixth, while 6-5 choice Statesman N (Eric Goodell) was a non-factor seventh.

For Fat Man’s Alley, a 5-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding trained by PJ Fraley for owner Bamond Racing, returned $21.40 (fifth choice) for his fifth win in 19 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $216.50, with the triple returning $1,593.