Racing Roundup: Yonkers begins 2010 season
January 9, 2010,from Harness Publicists across North America
Friday’s (Jan. 8) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Isle Pompano Park and Cal-Expo.
Speed Bomb, Leanback Coco win Open Handicaps at Yonkers
Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway began its 2010 season Friday night, with Speed Bomb (Greg Grismore, three wins on the card) and Leanback Coco (Jordan Stratton) leading the first-night frivolities.
Speed Bomb, out every step in the co-featured $32,000 Open Handicap Trot, nonetheless was the best of a barbershop quartet at the wire in 1:58.2. Self Professed was second, with Trottin’ Tony grabbing third over CR Dream Catcher.
Speed Bomb, a 7-year-old son of Master Lavec, is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing and owned by Weaver Bruscemi, JJK Stables and Phillip Collura.
Friday night’s co-featured $32,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace saw Leanback Coco take it to the house.
Leaving from post No. 4, “Coco” rolled through fractions of :29, :59.1; 1:27.2 and 1:55.4.
Leanback Coco won by a safe couple of lengths, with On the Glass, Lady Mach (Bartlett), Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance) and a tiring people’s choice completing the cashers.
For Leanback Coco, a 7-year-old daughter of Cambest trained by Ken Andersen for owner Richard Hallahan, she paid $7.20 (second choice) for her second win in two seasonal starts.
— Frank Drucker
Esmeralda Just Up Over Bling
Pompano Beach, FL — The top distaff group in South Florida took advantage from a one day reprieve from the cold weather wave to put on a stirring show at The Isle Pompano Park on the Friday evening, January 8th program.
In the end, the handicap event was set up exactly right by Racing Secretary Greg DeFrank. A scant nose was all that separated Esmeralda Semalu’s (1:53.3) decision over Bling in the photo after the pair had started in the far outside slots in the full field of nine.
Ownership of Esmeralda Semalu is shared by the BJR and AGC Stables of Boca Raton and Highland Beach. The six year 6-year-old daughter of Electric Stena-Anemone Semula is now a 25-time career winner. Her 2009 campaign was highlighted by a Pompano mares’ track record performance of 1:49.4 and season’s earnings of over $126,000.
— Frank Salive
Zoom Past You in a slight upset at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Filly & Mare Open Handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $6,800, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night (January 8) over a track listed as “good,” on which Zoom Past You got up in the nick of time.
Closing fast late, Zoom Past You got up in the last stride to win ($11.80) by a nose. Owned by David Brunck in partnership with Roselea Conrad, the Chris Conrad trained mare stopped the timer at 1:55.3. Don’t Tempt Me just failed while finishing in second, and Scooter Babe (Steve Wiseman) had late pace to finish in third, another one-length farther back.
— Scott Ehrlich