Yonkers, NY – Mike Polansky held for a 39-1 surprise and Tony Beltrami crushed with a 3-5 favorite to win in their respective $14,100 divisions for the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) trots at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Thursday night (April 30).
Polansky took full advantage of a trio of breakers, including 9-5 favorite Brave By Design (driven by Yogi Sheridan), with his charge Certify to take the front from post 8 and hold his ground for an upset in 2:01.3. Once clearing the lead from Windsong Pioneer (Tony Beltrami) past a :28.3 first quarter, Polansky hit the brakes to a 1:00.2 half and gradually quickened as Big Charlie Moran (John Calabrese) pulled off the pylons from fourth to push uncovered towards the leader. Certify clicked three-quarters in 1:29.4 and easily held sway over Big Charlie Moran in the lane for a three-quarter length win while pocket-sitter Windsong Pioneer settled for third. Kilimanjaro NL (Joe Lee) finished fourth.
Michael Fiumenero owns and trains Certify, a 10-year-old gelding by Credit Winner. He paid $80.18 to win.
Beltrami later bolted clear of competition with Roger Rabbit to score a 1:58.3 victory by open lengths. He landed his charge on the lead past a :29 first quarter and began pulling away from his competition past a :59.4 half. By three-quarters in 1:29, Beltrami opened several lengths on pocket-chaser Papa Joe Lozito (Robert Ciavardini) and continued widening his lead in the final quarter. Roger Rabbit scampered past the beam 11-1/4 lengths better than Papa Joe Lozito in second while Muscle Spasm (Yogi Sheridan) pushed first-up for third and All To Well (John Calabrese) closed for fourth.
Mark Ford trains Roger Rabbit, a 9-year-old gelding by Sebastian K S, for owners George and Rose Bonomo. He paid $3.42 to win.
NAADA action resumes at Yonkers next Thursday (May 7) with the eighth and final leg of the club’s spring series. First-race post time at Yonkers is 6:45 p.m. (EDT).