by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Our Cullenscrown N (Brian Sears, three winners on the 12-race card) continued his form spree Saturday night (Feb. 23), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $28,000 Winners Over Pace.

Jelena Gerga photo

Our Cullenscrown N was a 1:55.1 victor in the Winners Over Pace.

Leaving from post position No. 4, Our Cullenscrown N sat as Report For Duty N (George Brennan) left around pole-sitting Roadway (Jim Pantaleano) before a :28.1 opening quarter-mile.

Stonehouse Adam (Matt Kakaley), as the 13-10 favorite, then attempted to take over the throttle, but was rebuffed coming to the :56.4 intermission. Our Cullenscrown N then slipped out to catch his parked-out tow moving toward the 1:25.4 three-quarters.

Report For Duty N was holding sway — desperately — in and out of the final turn, but was about to get gobbled up. Roadway ducked inside and Our Cullenscrown N went wide, with wide prevailing by a head in a “good” 1:55.1. Village Beat (Jason Bartlett) grabbed the bottom of the ticket at 54-1, with Stonehouse Adam and Real Flight (Jordan Stratton) grabbing the remainder. Report For Duty N faded to sixth.

Our Cullenscrown N, a 7-year-old Down Under Christian Cullen gelding owned by Muscara Racing Trust and trained by Darren Cassar, returned $5.10 (second choice) for his third win (with a pair of seconds) in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $33, with the triple returning $499.

Though he did not win the feature, Kakaley won just about everythig else — as in a six-pack, with five trained by Ron Burke.

Driver and trainer teamed in the first four races, getting the gravy with Pontiac Luck ($5.00) in the $18,000 pacing opener (1:54.2), Outrageous Art ($3.20, $9.60 double) in the $18,000 second-race pace (1:55), Morgan Shark ($3.20) in the $18,000 third-race pace (1:56.3) and Sky Mesa ($4.10) in the $18,000 fourth-race pace (1:57).

Kakaley and Burke then won the $26,000 eighth-race pace with Major Belle ($3.60) in 1:56.2.

Kakaley’s lone non-Burke win was behind the Darran Cassar-trained Talktomecourage N ($6.30) in the $21,000 seventh-race pace (1:56).