by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Odds-on Sally Fletcher A (Jason Bartlett, $2.70) was saved by the wire Friday night (Jan. 12), winning Yonkers Raceway’s first-of-the-season $40,000 Filly and Mare Open Pace.
Jelena Gerga photo
Sally Fletcher A makes her local debut a winning one at Yonkers Raceway.
The auto-drawn field of seven traversed the rain and the wind and the fog, with Sally Fletcher A—from post position two—wanting no part of an early seat. The people’s preference worked around polester Scandalicious (Matt Kakaley), making the lead just after a :27.1 opening quarter-mile.
It was a :56.4 intermission when Best Of Jenna (Dan Dube) took out of third. She was chugging along toward a 1:25 three-quarters, never getting that close to the leader.
Sally Fletcher A owned a 1-1/4 length lead into the lane, but she wasn’t out of the wet woods. Scandalicious edged from the pocket, while a ground-saving Sell A Bit N (Jordan Stratton) moved crisply along the cones.
However, Sally Fletcher A did get the line when she needed it, nipping Sell A Bit N by a head in 1:55. Scandalicious was photoed for second, while Sassa Hanover (George Brennan) and Truth And Liberty (Greg Merton) rounded out the payees.
For Sally Fletcher A, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of American Ideal owned by Blindswitch Racing Stable and trained by Al Annunziata, her local and 2018 debut was a fifth win in six North American tries. The exacta paid $26.20, with the triple returning $90.
Friday’s Pick-5, buoyed by a double carryover in excess of $15,000 ($15,113.25, to be exact) and a $40,000 guaranteed pool, attracted $44,637 of fresh lettuce. After new-money takeout, an approximate pool of $48,591 was divvied up.
The winning combination of 1-2-3-1-1 returned $759 for each correct 50-cent wager.