Yonkers Raceway's usual Friday night pair of $44,000 Open Handicaps--for trotters and distaff pacers, respectively--were won by a first-over And Heez Perfect (Mark MacDonald, $16.80) and a from-the-back-of-the-bus Rock N Soul (Jason Bartlett, $4.60).
Pole-sitting And Heez Perfect eased from third to go after the leader, 8-5 favourite Big Sky Storm (Jordan Stratton). That one worked around Speed Bomb (Bartlett), then threw down intervals of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26.1.
Unfortunately, Big Sky Storm--with a length lead turning for home—jumped it off. And Heez Perfect, who may have been going by anyway, did so by a half-length in 1:55.2. Big Sky Storm wound up crossing the line second, but was set down to for last his transgression. That moved up Bastille (Cat Manzi), Blacktuxwhitesocks (Trond Smedshammer), Speed Bomb and KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) one place each on the earnings ladder.
For And Heez Perfect, a homebred six-year-old Andover Hall gelding owned by Mitchell Walker and trained by Robert Baggitt Jr., he prevailed as the fourth choice for this fourth win in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $176.50, the triple returned $877 and the superfecta paid $5,244.
Rock N Soul, the 13-10 choice, unhurried from post No. 5, was content to watch the early fray...and fray there was.
First, Keepers Destiny (MacDonald) made the lead from her outside post just after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile. She took over from Nite Games (Dan Dube), then hooked up with the second move of Billmar Scooter (Eric Goodell) before a a :55.2 intermission.
Down the backside, Keepers Destiny tried to lose the ladies, but they found her soon after a 1:23.3 three-quarters. Radar Contact (Stratton) was wide, Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland) was wider and Rock N Soul was widest.
With all the foes in pursuit, 'Keepers' had the lead entering the lane, however, her time in the fun zone was about to end, and the back markers was going to decide it. Rock N Soul was able to get 'Naughty' late, winning by a head in 1:52.4. Radar Contact saved the bottom of the ticket, with Keepers Destiny and Southwind Jazmin (Jeff Gregory) grabbing the small change.
For Rock N Soul, a five-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Howard Taylor and Frank Baldachino, she returned $4.60 for her fourth win in 20 '12 tries. The exacta paid $11.60, with the triple returning $54.
(Yonkers Raceway)