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

Yonkers, NY — Lass NF Happenstance (Jack Parker Jr., $5.70) finished what she started Sunday morning (March 18), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Open Handicap Trot. The field of a half-dozen went as the late-a.m, flat-mile opener in advance of seven ‘French’ trots.

Darragh Riordan photo

NF Happenstances takes Sunday’s featured event at Yonkers Raceway.

As is her custom, NF Happenstance left the gate. Tepidly favored from assigned post position four, she paid a :27.2 price for the lead, working around Mostinterestingman (Jason Bartlett).

A rated :30.3 next interval (58-second intermission) worked for her when Sir John F (Anthony Napolitano) moved from third.

NF Happenstance maintained her lead in and out of a 1:26.2 three-quarters, taking a 1-3/4 length lead off the final turn. She then held off an inside-diving Mostinterestingman, whipping that rival by a neck in 1:55.3.

In Secret (George Brennan) sat the pylons and showed up late for third, with Always A Good Time (Dan Dube) and Sir John F rounding out the payees. The latter locked wheels in the lane with Money Maven (Jordan Stratton), who finished last.

For NF Happenstance, an 8-year-old daughter of SJ’s Caviar owned by James Moore III and trained by Carol Jamieson-Parker, it was her sixth win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $33.20, with triple returning $108.

Sunday’s return of the ‘New York, New York Double’ offered a winning combination of 1-Total Control (Aqueduct’s 3rd race) and 2-High Glider (Yonkers’ 7th race) paid $11.70 for every correct $1 wager. Total pool was $6,358.

The next Sunday matinee is May 20 (post time TBA).