Mayra Escamilla photo

Archangel was a 1:54.3 winner in the Open Handicap Trot.

The week’s marquee trot was strictly a two-speed number as 11-10 choice favorite Archangel — starting from post position No. 5 — worked around Tober (Brent Holland). The mare Frau Blucher (Brian Sears) settled third in her local debut. Early intervals of :27.1 and :56 left several gaps among the rest of the gang.

Archangel held sway through a 1:24.3 three-quarters, taking a couple of lengths into the lane. He held Tober at bay, winning by a length in 1:54.3, matching the fastest local trot mile of the season. Lorenzo Dream (Dan Dube) rallied well to grab third, beaten 5-1/4 lengths, with Awesome Valley (Eric Carlson) and Frau Blucher rounding out the payees.

Archangel, a 5-year-old (unraced last season) statebred son of Credit Winner co-owned by Clare Semer and Legendary Standard Farm and trained by Ron Burke, returned $4.30 for his first win in four ’14 tries. The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid $11.60, the triple returned $133.50 and the superfecta paid $460.50.

Ordered outside her seven rivals, Monkey On My Wheel — as the just-above-even-money favorite — settled in third as 32-1 rank outsider Fast And Feisty (Brent Holland) and Classy Lane Rose (Eric Goodell) played leapfrog on the lead.

After a :27.4 opening quarter-mile and :57.1 intermission, Monkey On My Wheel was back on the case. She took out after Classy Lane Rose in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters, tackling that one through the final turn. Monkey On My Wheel finally gained the upper hoof, then held off a passing lane Fast And Feisty by a scant nose in 1:53.4. Hula’s Z Tam (Pat Lachance) was third, with Fashion Mystery (Eric Carlson) and Classy Lane Rose settling for the small change.

Monkey On My Wheel, a 6-year-old homebred daughter of Mach Three owned by Mac Nichol and trained by Casie Coleman, returned $4.10 for her fifth win in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $64.50, with the triple returning $281.50.