Hemi Seelster wins Yonkers feature
May 28, 2017,by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Track announcer John Hernan, said, “Hemi Seelster has fled the scene,” and he did not lie, as the horse (Brent Holland, $9.90) made quick work of 11 rivals Sunday afternoon (May 28), winning Yonkers Raceway’s 1-1/4 mile $68,000 Open Trot.
Away alertly from post position three, Hemi Seelster stuffed Red Hot Herbie (Dan Dube) in behind coming toward a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. The remaining eight furlongs with fractions of :58, 1:27.2, 1:56.1, 2:24.3 were angst-free, with a final margin of 5-3/4 lengths.
Red Hot Herbie clearly was second, with Money Maven (Eric Goodell) a three-hole third. Second-tier starters Wing Flash (Tyler Buter) and Homicide Hunter (Anthony Napolitano) rounded out the payees, while 5-2 favorite Tag Up And Go (Joe Bongiorno) was a never-in-it ninth and second choice Wings of Royalty (Brian Sears) couldn’t get out his own way.
For third choice Hemi Seelster, a 5-year-old Holiday Road gelding co-owned by Howard Taylor and Abe Basen and trained by Rich Banca, it was his fourth win in 13 seasonal starts. He now has banked over a half-million dollars for his career.
The exacta paid $69, with the triple returning $616.
For Holland, it was career driving win No. 4,993.
The weekly featured trot was the first of four ‘French’ races during the dozen-race, all-trot card.
Sunday’s revival of the ‘New York, New York Double’ saw a winning combination of 9-Bustin’ It, Belmont’s 3rd race and 4-Andy Ray, Yonkers’ seventh race. paid $13.90 for every correct $1 ticket with a total pool of $7,361.
Live racing and evening simulcasting returns Friday, (June 16) with a post time of 7:10 p.m. Afternoon simulcasting remains available, including the June 10 Belmont Stakes