Yonkers, NY — Full Picture (Jason Bartlett), despite being parked nearly two turns, relished the road trip Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $52,000 co-featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Full Picture survived a tough trip to win Friday’s co-featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers.</TD

Leaving from post position No. 6, Full Picture had to wait her turn as 17-10 choice Breakheart Pass (Yannick Gingras) made the lead right before a :26.3 opening quarter-mile. Full Picture continued on, taking over in Turn 2 and getting a :55.1 half.

Once Full Picture made the lead, Delightful Diva (Pat Berry) was stuck out there with Pangagler (George Brennan) behind that one.

Full Picture found a 1:23.2 three-quarters, taking a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. Feeling You extricating herself from behind a tiring Breakheart Pass, angled back inside around the 1:51.4 mile marker but could not reach. Full Picture won by a half-length, getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.1 Cotton Candy (Brent Holland) closed well to grab the bottom of the ticket, with Breakheart Pass and Summer Snow (Brian Sears) grabbing the minor awards.

For Full Picture, a 4-year-old daughter of Artsplace owned by Marvin Rounick and trained by Jerry Silverman, she returned $16.60 (fifth choice) for her eight win in 18 seasonal starts.

Friday night’s co-featured $52,000 Open Handicap Trot, reduced to a field of seven after Tough Challenger was a judges’ scratch, saw 7-5 favorite Calchips Brute (Brennan) continue his fine form. Ordered outside his rivals, he watched early as Pembroke Prayer (Bartlett) and Speed Bomb (Gingras) took turns leading the parade. (:27.1 and :56.3). Past the half, The Chancellor (Holland) was first-up, with last week’s winner, Pilgrim’s Chuckie (Dan Dube), second-over.

However, Pilgrim’s Chuckie misbehaved, moving Calchips Brute up to second-up. Speed Bomb and The Chancellor were about even at the 1:25.2 three-quarters, until the latter jumped it off. That left Calchips Brute to find for himself nearing the 1:55 mile. He edged past Speed Bomb, then held sway from KLM Express (Jim Marshall III), prevailing by three-quarters of a length in an added-distance 2:02.2. Whata Winner (Jim Doherty), Speed Bomb and Pembroke Prayer also made money.

For Calchips Brute, a 5-year-old homebred son of Credit Winner owned by Diane Giuliano and trained by Trond Smedshammer, he returned $4.80 for his fifth win in 15 ’11 tries.

Please be advised Yonkers has cancelled its live harness card for Saturday night (Aug. 27), due to oncoming Hurricane Irene.

Tioga Downs

In the Friday night $18,000 fillies and mares open pace, Freedom Crossing and Mike Micallef turned a pocket trip into a victory for trainer Kevin Efimetz. Leaving from post position five, Freedom Crossing left strongly to take control of the field past an opening panel of 27.2. The heavy favorite McFlirty and Ed Hensley quickly surged to the front from third and led the field of six through fractions of 56 and 1:24.3. Around the final turn, Micallef pulled Freedom Crossing out of the pocket and surged by the leader in the lane to win in 1:53. It was the sixth win in sixteen starts for the 4-year-old daughter of Artiscape–Bunker To Bunker who with the victory increased her seasonal earnings to more than $60,000. McFlirty (Ed Hensley) hung on for second, while Penny Pincher (Corey Braden) turned a rail ride into a third place finish.

Scioto Downs
Sophomore filly Fire In The Cell wasn’t daunted by the task of taking on older foes in Friday’s feature trot at Scioto Downs and performed up to expectations to win in 1:57.3. Nine trotters lined up for the evening’s seventh race and the 11-1 shot Domi Racer was away quickly for driver Kyle Ater, but Fire In The Cell was determined to get to the front. She secured the lead at the quarter in:28.1 and Domi Racer fell in on the 2-5 favorite’s back. Power Stroke Chip followed in third. Fire In The Cell showed the way past the half-mile marker in :58 and then to the three-quarter pole in 1:27.4. Ater stayed on the leader’s back until the stretch, then ducked Domi Racer to the inside to launch his bid. Domi Racer closed fast, but Paver knew his filly had enough to get home first and Fire In The Cell hit the wire first in 1:57.3 with Domi Racer a half-length back in second. Power Stroke Chip lagged 3-1/4 lengths back in third. It was the fourth win in 11 starts this season for the daughter of Jailhouse Jesse, who is owned by Slaughter Racing LLC and trained by Danny Collins. It was a new mark for the bay filly, who is tuning up for the Ohio Sires Stakes final on Ohio Super Night at Scioto on Sept. 10.

Cal-Expo
Conditioned pacers, racing for a purse of $4,500, were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (August 26), on which Ivegotwhatuneed was clearly fastest of all. Opening up while under very minimal urging, the gelding won ($5.00) by 3-1/3-lengths. Owned by Marty Garey in partnership with Johnson, Ivegotwhatuneed stopped the timer at 1:54.2, thus recording his 34th triumph. Western So (Scott Cisco) finished in second, and Arch Nemeses (James Kennedy) finished one-length farther back, in third.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway

Lorenzo Dream made his way back to the winner’s circle at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Friday night. The Jackie Rousse trained trotter has been a winning machine this season but came into Friday’s open after being a non-factor in the $78,000 August Fun Trotting Series final last week as part of an entry that was the betting public‘s 1-5 favorite. Lorenzo Dream (Taurus Dream) reverted back to the early speed tactics that have helped him breakout here in 2011. Driver Billy Dobson moved the 7-5 favorite to the lead at the opening quarter and they would not suffer an anxious moment before prevailing for the 11th time in 13 local starts this season. Russ N Us (Mark Beckwith) sat the pocket to the favored open winner on Friday night to finish a close second while Rock DJ (Scott Mongeon) won the photo for show in the mile trotted in 1:56. Lorenzo Dream moved his seasonal earnings to over $94,000 with the win for owner Vince Laurenzo of Clifton Park, NY.