by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — In Secret (George Brennan, $27) earned it Sunday afternoon (Aug. 20), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $50,000 Open Handicap Trot. With ‘only’ a seven-horse field after a scratch, the weekly trotting feature went at the flat mile.
From post position six , In Secret—and half the field—was pointed forward. In Secret’s job was made that much more difficult when Rubber Duck (Joe Bongiorno) broke directly inside of him.
That forced In Secret very wide, eventually taking over from Buen Camino (Jordan Stratton) after a :28.1 opening quarter-mile. Once In Secret made the lead, he rebuffed even-money choice Homicide Hunter (Brent Holland).
Even though they weren’t going much in the middle half with fractions of :57.1: and 1:25.4, Homicide Hunter was in trouble.
In Secret opened a couple of lengths in and out of the final turn and Buen Camino couldn’t do anything with him. The former whipped the latter by a length in 1:55. Homicide Hunter was an out-the-mile third—ending his marque trot ‘run’ at three—with Dewycolorintheline (Jeff Gregory) and Taco Tuesday (Jim Marohn Jr.) settling for the remainder.
For fifth choice In Secret, a 5-year-old Dewycheatumnhowe gelding co-owned as Burke Racing by trainer Ron Burke, J&T Silva Stables, Larry Karr and Weaver Bruscemi, it was his sixth win in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $108, with the triple returning $273.
Sunday’s installment of the ‘New York, New York Double’ offered a ‘double nickel’ winning combination of 5-Empressof the Nile in Saratoga’s third race and 5-Auspicious Hanover in Yonkers’ fifth race returning $29.25 for every correct $1 wager. Total pool was $5,807.
Note the Raceway’s post time next Sunday (Aug. 27) is 12:30 p.m..