by Frank Drucker, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway Publicity Director

YONKERS, NY — ‘Twas two nights before Christmas and there was much debate, whether Miss Galvinator A could lengthen her win run to eight.

Let’s suspend the suspense. She did, prevailing in Saturday night’s tri-featured $21,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap at Yonkers Raceway.

However, her path to pay dirt was anything but pristine.

Assigned outside her seven rivals with regular driver Jim Marohn doing the honors, this Miss–the 1-2 public choice in the distaff derby–was away alertly.

So, too, were the pole-sitting Missthrill (Greg Grismore) and Heavenly Beauty (Pat Berry). Unfortunately for Miss Galvinator A, Heavenly Beauty was just spinning her wheels. That left Marohn with a decision…race parked with weak cover or drop in for a breather.

Damned if he did and damned if he didn’t, Marohn chose to squat third along the pylons, behind longshot Santino’s Rosa (Jim Meittinis). All the while, Missthrill was rolling along through fractions of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:25.2.

Miss Galvainator A was all dressed up with no place to go as back markers Stonebridge Kisses (Stephane Bouchard) and Van Anna (Jeff Gregory) came into the fray.

Once the favorite was able to extricate herself from the cones, she had no choice but to go very wide.

“I thought I’d made the wrong choice, but she made me look good,” Marohn said. “Once I angled her to the far outside, she just dove in and out of that final turn.”

Miss Galvinator A, sixth entering the lane, nailed Missthrill late, winning by a half-kength in 1:55.1. Stonebridge Kisses was third, with Heather’s Gambit (Steve Smith) and Van Anna earning the final two pay envelopes.

The victress returned $3.10, leading a $35.60 exacta and $222.50 triple.

For Miss Galvinator A, a 7-year-old Down Under daughter of Fake Left, it was her 13th win in 38 seasonal starts. The ’06 stash is over $228,000 for owner Richard Annunziata and trainer Ettore Annunziata.

While the inside location just missed in the Filly and Mare Open ‘Cap Pace, that was the ideal venue in the Open Handicap Pace.

Dream Package (Gregory), a 15-1 proposition, protected the pocket as Chewy Gross (Bouchard) beat the gate from post postion No. 6.

Chewy Gross looped even-money favorite Whistle Bear (Grismore)–who never saw the cones–and zipped along through two-furlong timings of :27.2, :57 and 1:25.2.

Western Prince (Ted Wing) and John Adams (Eric Goodell), who won the two previous Open ‘Caps, both went wide to nowhere this time around.

Chewy Gross took a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane, but could not dismiss his closest pursuer. Dream Package angled out for the drive, then snapped Chewy Gross on the wire, winning by a neck in 1:54.

Life Sizzles (Claude Huckabone III) rallied from seventh to grab third, with Dave Ain’t Here (Mark Beckwith) and Western Prince collecting the small change.

Dream Package, a 4-year-old statebred Sealed N Delivered gelding, owned by Mike Polansky and trained by Dave Spagnola, has won eight of 28 ’06 tries and more than $70,000. He paid $33.80, with the exacta returning $167.50 and the triple worth a robust $2,143.

(Author’s aside: Trainer Spagnola sent out three winners on the 10-race card, bookending the program with down-the-road Allamerican Apache [Berry, $26.80] in the opener and first-over Cannon Hanover [Gregory, $5.90] in the finale.)

The Open Handicap Trot saw Calchip’s Muscle (Bouchard) sent postward with the hopes and dreams of those that took him at 95 cents on the dollar. He two-moved to the lead around outsider Notorious Buck (Grismore) before a :29.1 opening quarter-mile, then rated a :59.3 intermission.

Near The Limit (Jim Taggart Jr.) took out of third to offer a hard challenge down the backside–and a 1:29.2 three-quarters–only to be rebuffed and eventually misbehave.

Ginger Girl (Huckabone III), one of two lasses in the race, tracked that move, then set her sights on the leader. Ginger Girl easily outmuscled “Calchip,” striding out to a 2 3/4-length win in 1:59.3. Calchip’s Muscle saved second over Sundance Kid G (Meittinis), with Movie Hall (Smith) and CR Southern Peach (Donald Dancer) making money for that last-minute Christmas rush.

Ginger Girl, a 4-year-old statebred daughter of Eighteen Karat, is also trained and co-owned (with by Casey Miller) by Huckabone. She returned $7.60 as the second choice, leading a $19.60 exacta and $112 triple.

Her career-best ’06 season features 10 wins in 30 starts with earnings in excess of $95,400.