by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Jonsie Jones (Tyler Buter, $27.20) was up at the wire Friday (July 29) night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Chris Brokate photo
Jonsie Jones captures the Yonkers feature by a scant head.
From the outset, the distaffers threw it down in a hotly-contested affair. Triple millionairess Anndrovette (Jordan Stratton), as the 13-10 favorite, was caught three-wide leaving. She eventually worked around Know it All (Eric Abbatiello), making the lead after a :27.3 opening quarter-mile. It was a :56.4 intermission before Sheeza Shark N (Brent Holland), who closed an early hole, tried it first-up from fourth.
That one pestered the leader in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters, with Secrets Out N (George Brennan) second-up and Jonsie Jones—from post position six—operating from third-over. Anndrovette owned the slimmest of leads into the lane, but then an impromptu convention broke out. The ladies all came together before ‘Jonsie’ found the wire first in 1:53.1.
She whipped Secrets Out N by a head, with a wide-side Mach It A Par (Brian Sears) charging from last to grab third. Anndrovette was fourth—beaten a neck for the big check—with Sheeza Shark N getting the final pay envelope. The five cashers were separated by a half-length, while the entire octet was two lengths front-to-back at the finish.
For fourth choice Jonsie Jones, a 9-year-old daughter of Tulane owned by Lrl Racing and trained by Amber Buter, it was her eighth win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $112, the triple returned $734 and the superfecta paid $1,739.