Yonkers, NY — Western Graduate (George Brennan), fastest lass in the history of Yonkers Raceway, won Friday night’s co-featured $38,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Western Graduate was a 1:54 winner in the Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Leaving from post position No. 6 as the just under even-money favorite, Western Graduate watched a three-headed early scrum in the presence of Hannah Isabel (Cat Manzi), Breakheart Pass (Jason Bartlett) and Jasperthat A (Ryan Anderson).

Jasperthat A made the lead around Hannah Isabel before a testing :27.3 opening quarter-mile. Coming to the :57.3 intermission, longshot Queen Of Heaven N (Jim Marshall III) moved with purpose. She went past Jasperthat A right at the 1:25.4 three-quarters, taking a 1-3/4 length lead into the lane.

All the while, Western Graduate was gapping second-over before getting the memo in mid-stretch. The people’s preference eventually went by, defeating Queen Of Heaven N by a half-length in 1:54. Hannah Isabel, Ideal Newton (Jordan Stratton) and Park Avenue (Tyler Buter) completed the cashers.

Western Graduate, a 6-year-old Western Hanover miss trained by Lou Pena for KDM Stables, returned $3.90 for her 10th win in 34 seasonal starts (fifth in last six tries). The exacta paid $58, with the triple returning $252.50. Western Graduate’s 1:51.3 effort here in late July is the local, all-age distaff record.

Friday night’s co-featured $38,000 Open Handicap Trot saw 9-10 Pricevalleyrevitup (Manzi) prevail in a solid effort.

Leaving from post No. 3, Pricevalleyrevitup worked a give-and-go with KLM Express (Marshall), the latter out past the :28.3 opening fraction and into the second turn. Pricevalleyrevitup regained the lead before a :57.4 mid-point, then had S F Aceinthehole (Bartlett) challenge toward the 1:26.2 three-quarters.

Pricevalleyrevitup clung to a short lead turning for home, eventually widening to win by three lengths in 1:56.1. KLM Express and Don’ttellmywife (Brennan) wound up in a dead-heat for second (the latter closing from last), with Light Headed (Daniel Dube) and Mr Invincible (Stratton) rounding out the payees.

Pricevalleyrevitup, a 4-year-old Revenue S gelding trained by Nik Drennan for co-owners Aden Peake and Rhonda Rich, returned $3.80 for his eighth win in 23 ’10 tries. The exactas paid $7.60 (KLM Express second) and $11.80 (Don’tellmywife second), with the triples returning $38.20 (KLM Express/Don’ttellmywife) and $59 (Don’ttellmywife/KLM Express).

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Gaming and Raceway
For the 16th time this season, Scorpion Moon made his way to the winner’s circle on a seasonably warm night in Saratoga. The 9-year- old veteran continues to be on top of his game, securing a pocket sitting win in the $16,500 Open Trot in the final stride on Friday. Dan Cappello, Jr. was at the controls for trainer Tracy Brainard and sat patiently behind front running Pembroke Prayer (Kim Crawford) before nosing him out at the wire. Scorpion Moon continued in his quest to become the track’s Trotter of the Year, a race that will come down to the wire with Prime Interest, one of Scorpion Moon’s competitors on Friday night (finishing fourth in the feature). The victory came in 1:57 for Scorpion Moon who made good as the public’s 2-5 choice. Scorpion Moon is owned by Andrew Herzog in partnership with Brainard.

Vernon Downs
Keep It Fair displayed speed and stamina while winning Friday night’s $13,200 featured pacing contest in 1:52.4 at Vernon Downs. With Jack Rice at the controls for trainer Tracy Brainard, Keep It Fair ($2.80) advanced from fourth at the quarter to first before the half, and then keep on digging until she had defeated newcomer Snapper in Friday’s seventh race, the week’s top Miracle Mile contest for female representatives of the lateral gait. The half-length tally was the third in succession, sixth at the meeting, eighth in 2010 and 10th all-time for the 4-year-old daughter of Art Major-Direct Service, who is shared in ownership by Brainard and Andrew Herzog. Brainard, this year’s leading trainer after 87 local programs with 67 first-place finishes, also owns and conditions Brick ($18.00), who turned a pocket trip into a 1:56.2 victory in Friday’s $10,800 ninth race, the weekend’s top Miracle Mile trot. Claude Huckabone, Jr. did the teaming as Brick idled behind the pacesetting Queen Creek until the final furlong, and then rallied to earn a half-length decision over the mile cutter. It was the fourth season’s score (all at the Downs) and 30th lifetime win for the 8-year-old son of Conway Hall-Tees.

Batavia Downs
A pair of $8,800 features, one for filly and mare pacers and one for trotters headlined the Friday night program at Batavia Downs Casino. For the third week in a row the same horses won. The Grey Filly and Fifty Two Finn pulled the three-peat when they won the Mares Open and Open Trot, respectively, and did it in spite of being assigned the extreme outside post positions. Spotted third-over, The Grey Filly, with trainer-driver Ron Bebeck, Jr., angled to the rail in the stretch and got up at the wire to defeat Silveresque with Jack Flanigen by a neck in 1:56.4. Artistry In Rhythm (Ken Holliday) was farther back in third. It was the seventh win of the season for The Grey Filly, a 4-year-old by Northern Luck. She has earned more than $54,000 this season for owner Sandy Beback. Winning is something the 10-year-old Movie Mogul gelding Fifty Two Finn knows how do, as he notched the 45th of his career. Poised to strike at the top of the stretch, John Cummings, Jr. tipped Fifty Two Finn three-wide off cover and they roared down the lane to nail the front running 3-year-old filly Hat and Tom Agosti by a neck in 1:59.2 for owner-trainer Ronald Stebbins. Bankers Dream (Ray Fisher, Jr.) wound up third. Fifty Two Finn has more than $434,000 in lifetime earnings.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Bright Idea, driven by George Napolitano, Jr. and trained by Carmine Fusco, captured his fifth straight win at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Friday evening. Napolitano took Bright Idea to the front early on in the mile and stopped the timer in 1:57.4 in the $7,000 claiming trot. Fusco and Napolitano are now a perfect three for three with Bright Idea, who was claimed Oct. 15 by Kathleen A. Febbaro-Napolitano. Her husband, George, is North America’s leading driver and top teamster at both Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and Harrah’s Chester. Longshot Chippewa Warrior (Kevin Sizer) was second to Bright Idea with third place going to Easter El Paso (Anthony Napolitano).