by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Jeff Gregory, perhaps an optimist by nature, saw the glass as half-full on Thursday night (August 2) at Yonkers Raceway, as he won five of the evening’s 10 races.

Gregory, driving in each and every dash, began his night by sweeping the $39 early daily double with The Pan I Love ($12.60) in the $5,000 pacing opener and favored Money Talks ($4.90) in the $9,500 second race trot. The latter prevailed in a life-best 1:58.1.

Double The Trouble ($15.20) won the $6,000 fourth race pace, avoiding some final turn happenstance for Gregory’s third victory.

He then won the $8,000 seventh race pace with down-the-road Armbro Chivalry ($7.90) before stopping in for a nightcap with the invading Vivaldi N ($9.10) in the $9,500 pacing finale. The gelding matched his 1:55 personal best, edging by the pace-setting favorite B My Hero (Greg Grismore).

Gregory, 40, recently went over the 5,100 career win plateau and is right around $40 million in purses.

Only four drivers had their pictures taken Thursday night, with Jordan Stratton and Pat Lachance (two winners each), along with Grismore accounting for the other five victories. Stratton’s Down Under pair — Royal Seal N and Legal Trouble N — returned $52.50 and $25.80, respectively.

Live racing is currently offered at Yonkers with six programs per week — Monday through Saturday nights at 7:40 p.m. Harness and thoroughbred simulcasting is available seven days a week, while Empire City’s nearly 5,500 video gaming machines are in play daily from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.