Ontario-sired Aggressive (Mark MacDonald, $9.80) angled off the cones and was up at the wire Sunday afternoon (March 19) while winning Yonkers Raceway’s one and a quarter-mile $68,000 Open Trot.

Starting from Post 1 in the field of nine (the infamous 10-hole was scratched), Aggressive minded his manners as the lass Allerage Star (driven by Andy Miller) left over Ladys Dude (George Brennan), and wasn’t in too much of a hurry (:29.1, :59).

Hemi Seelster (Jason Bartlett), as the slight 7-2 favourite from the second tier, then offered some mild heat. Bartlett came first-up from fifth toward a 1:28.1 three-quarters, but never seriously challenged. Allerage Star had the lead at the 1:57 milepost, with a length-and-a-half advantage in and out of the final turn.

It was about the juncture when Aggressive extricated himself from the cones. He and Ladys Dude — who appeared to duck into the passing lane a lap earlier — provided Allerage Star with unwanted company from both flanks.

Ladys Dude did so again this time, but was outgamed by Aggressive, who earned the nose decision in 2:27.1 for the mile-and-one-quarter. Allerage Star was third, beaten a neck, with a traffic-troubled Luck O the Irish (Jordan Stratton) and Hemi Seelster rounding out the payees. The five payees were separated by just a length-and-three-quarters at the wire.

For third choice Aggressive – a six-year-old Kadabra gelding trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera for owner Gilbert Garcia-Owen – it was his third win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $130, the triple returned $510, and the superfecta paid $1,535.

The program was Yonkers’ final Sunday card until the end of May, and also the last ‘New York, New York Double’ until then (when Aqueduct becomes Belmont). Sunday’s winning combination of 1-Lakeside Sunset (Aqueduct’s third race) and 7-Not Afraid (Yonkers’ sixth race) paid $20 for every correct $1 ticket. Total pool was $5,745.

(Yonkers Raceway)