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

Yonkers, NY — It wasn’t quite heat racing, but Home’n Dry (Jason Bartlett, $10.80) won his second event in five nights Saturday (Oct. 21), this one Yonkers Raceway’s $50,000 Open Handicap Trot

Chris Brokate photo

Home’n Dry takes the featured pacing event at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday evening.

The field of seven was essentially pared to five after Winds of Royalty (Steve Smith) and Consolidator (Eric Goodell) both jumped early. It was 13-10 choice Dayson (George Brennan) leaving over Murmur Hanover (Victor Kirby), the latter returning to town for the first time since April of 2015 having won his last five races.

Dayson, 23 days out between starts, led through seemingly cheap intervals of :28 seconds flat and :57.2. Home’n Dry, away third from post position four, took out after the leader toward the soft 1:26.2 three-quarters.

No resistance was offered, with Home’n Dry opening two lengths into the lane. He defeated the people’s preference by a 1-1/4 lengths in 1:55, with Murmur Hanover, Kanthaka (Brent Holland) and Dewycolorintheline (Jordan Stratton) rounding out the payees.

For third choice Home’n Dry, a 5-year-old Credit Winner gelding owned by J L Sadowsky LLC and trained by Robert Bresnahan, it was his sixth win in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $41.20, with the triple returning $145.

No one took down Saturday night’s Pick-5 wager, so Monday night’s (Oct. 23) gimmick begins with a carryover of $2,460.60 (50-cent base wager, races 7 through 11).