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

Yonkers, NY — Favored Newborn Sassy (Jordan Stratton, $4.10) is just better than these right now. She proved it again Friday night (Aug. 31), handily winning Yonkers Raceway’s last-of-the-month $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Katy Gazzini photo

Newborn Sassy defeated Frost Damage Blues by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:53.1.

Remanded outside her six rivals, Newborn Sassy was caught wide early, eventually settling in fourth. While this was transpiring, Lispatty (Mark MacDonald) worked around Frost Damage Blues (Brian Sears) before a :26.4 opening quarter-mile.

After a :56.1 intermission, Newborn Sassy was moving again, engaging Lispatty in and out of a 1:24.1 three-quarters. She finished off that foe early in the lane, then widened. Frost Damage Blues did slip out behind the eventual winner, with she and a bottled-up-till-late Mach It A Par (Jason Bartlett) cosmetically closing the margin.

Newborn Sassy defeated Frost Damage Blues by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:53.1, with Mach It A Par, Lispatty and Angel’s Pride (George Brennan) settling for the remainder.

For Newborn Sassy, a 5-year-old daughter of Western Ideal owned by CC Racing and Jo Ann Looney-King and trained by Jim King Jr., it was her eighth win in 26 seasonal starts (fourth in last six tries, career earnings over $985,000). The exacta paid $18.40, the triple returned $69.50 and the superfecta paid $175.

Saturday night (Sept. 1) is Triple Crown Night, with the Raceway offering the $500,000 Yonkers Trot and $500,000 Messenger Stakes, along with companion events, the $129,014 Hudson Filly Trot and $112,904 Lady Maud Pace. There’s a gimmick Trot/Messenger Double (races six and seven) as well. First post for the dozen-race card is the usual evening 6:50 p.m.