Odds-on choice Take It Back Terry (George Brennan, $3.20) skimmed for success Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $35,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Unhurried from post position No. 3, the people's preference saw 34-1 shot O'Sundland (Larry Stalbaum) beat everyone to the punch from the far outside, making the lead before a :27.3 opening quarter-mile. While doing so, he looped Mickey Hanover (Dan Dube), forcing that one to prompt toward a :56.3 intermission and 1:25.2 three-quarters.
All the while, Take It Back Terry was stuck in a three-hole, behind a pocketed Flem N Em N (Jason Bartlett).
O'Sundland owned a length and a half lead entering the lane, but was about done. Swarmed from all side, it was a deep-in-the-passing-lane Take It Back Terry saving the chalkies. He whipped a second-up McErlean (Eric Goodell) by a neck in 1:53.4. BJs Guy (Matt Kakaley) was third, with Mickey Hanover -- out every step -- and Flem N Em N rounding out the payees.
For "Terry," a six-year-old Western Hanover gelding co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, it was his first win in a couple of seasonal starts. The exacta paid $23, with the triple returning $109.
The Raceway’s live season continues Sunday (post time 11:55 a.m.), with a French-centric, trot-filled card with seven oversized fields at the mile-and-one-quarter distance. After that, it’s Monday (7:10 p.m.), Tuesday (1 p.m.), then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 p.m.).
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)