by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Veteran Great Vintage (Mark MacDonald, $6.60) had to work for the lead and that worked for him Saturday night (July 21), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Katy Gazzini photo
Great Vintage won the featured pacing event at Yonkers Raceway in 1:52.
Using his usual gate speed, Great Vintage—from post position No. 5—had an early impediment in Barimah A (Brent Holland). Forced wide around that one, Great Vintage then continued to the lead, taking over from Robbie Burns N (Greg Merton) before a 27-second opening quarter-mile.
Once he fronted the fray, Great Vintage finished it off (:56.4, 1:24.4, 1:52.4). Second went to a stubborn 17-10 fave Always At My Place (George Brennan), who was also compromised when an out-again Barimah A moved first-up and was his obligatory hard-to-steer self.
Barimah A eventually went back in—again—leaving Always At My Place to take up the chase. Great Vintage, with a 1-1/2 length lead entering the lane, defeated Always At My Place by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.
Robbie Burns N was a pocket third, with Run Oneover N (Jim Marohn Jr.) and that Barimah A rounding out the payees.
For second choice Great Vintage, a 10-year-old son of American Ideal owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Goran Anderberg & Goran Falk and trained by Jimmy Takter, it was his fourth win in 11 seasonal starts (career 44-for-159, earnings over $1.24 million). The exacta paid $22, the triple returned $68.50 and the superfecta paid $281.
Sunday’s (July 22) matinee has a first post of 12:30 p.m., with races one through four of the overflow-field, 1-1/4 mile ‘French’ theme. The ‘New York, New York Double’ is comprised of Saratoga’s third race and Yonkers’ fifth. Post times are 2:07 p.m. and 2:20 p.m., respectively.