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Saturday’s (Nov. 1) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Yonkers Raceway and Hollywood Dayton Raceway.

Opening Night and Yagonnakissmeornot shine in Pocono features

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Trotter Opening Night and pacing mare Yagonnakissmeornot won the twin feature Open Handicap races on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Each of those races carried a purse of $35,000.

In the Open Handicap Trot, Opening Night (Broadway Hall-Rare Elegance), a 6-year-old stallion from the Jim Campbell barn, overcame an outside post to work out a pocket trip and won a four-way battle in the stretch by a nose.

Curtis Salonick photo

Yagonnakissmeornot was a narrow winner in the Mares Open Handicap Pace.

Driven by Ron Pierce, Opening Night, an 11-1 shot, held off Tirade Hanover by a nose in 1:53. Whata Donato finished third while 6-5 Not Afraid was just inches back of the winner in fourth.

Pierce also guided the winner of the Open Handicap Pace for mares, as Yagonnakissmeornot (The Panderosa-Artstopper), a 5-year-old from the Rene Allard barn, continued her brilliant season and atoned for a clunker in her last start at Pocono by gutting out a front-end win as a 6-5 favorite.

Despite imposing fractions, Yagonnakissmeornot was able to hold off the first-over charge of Rockaround Sue to win by a neck in 1:50.1, her 13th win of the season. Spirit Of Desire finished third.

— Jim Beviglia

Yonkers Raceway
Mach’s Beach Boy (Pat Lachance, $7.30) lasted on the lead Saturday night, annexing Yonkers Raceway’s “sloppy” $26,000 winners over feature. Leaving from post position No. 3, Mach’s Beach Boy pocketed 6-5 choice Mystician (Jason Bartlett), then went the distance through soggy intervals of :28.3, :59.3, 1:27 and 1:55.3. Mystician ducked inside and missed by a scant nose, with a rallying Life Up Front (Jordan Stratton), McDynamite (Mark MacDonald) and a first-up American Venture (Eric Carlson) settling for the remainder. For second choice Mach’s Beach Boy, a 5-year-old Mach Three gelding trained by his driver for co-owners Jeffrey Oborne and Dan Mogridge, it was his eighth win in 29 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $19, with the triple returning $59.50. Note that since no one hit Saturday’s Pick-5, Monday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $2,679.39 (50 cent base wager, races five through nine).

Hollywood Dayton Raceway
For the second time in three weeks, Torrington captured the $12,000 Saturday night Open Pace at Dayton Raceway, this time in 1:52 despite a dip in temperature to 32 degrees by the race’s post time. Driver Kayne Kauffman placed the 6-year-old Art Major gelding up front early and dictated fractions of :27, :55.1 and 1:23.3 before hustling home in :28.2 to seal the deal over Lucky Lime (Chris Page) and Lonesome Attack (Josh Sutton). Mike Evans trains Torrington for owners James Hefner, Mark Nolan and Nick Katterhenry. It was his fifth win of the year, increasing his seasonal earnings to $52,120 and lifetime bounty to $142,545.