Last season’s New York Sire Stakes champion and Yonkers Trot runner-up Smalltownthrowdown (Yannick Gingras, $6.40) maintained his seasonal form on Sunday afternoon (November 26), as he won Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Open Handicap Trot.

With just a ‘happy half-dozen,’ the track’s weekly trotting feature was contested at the distance of one mile, after the first seven ‘French’ trots.

Smalltownthrowdown, after having won his last six races out of town, made short work of his inside five rivals in his local return.

As the only ‘leaver,’ he toured the terrain (:27.3, :59, 1:28, 1:56.4) and received no pressure whatsoever throughout the proceedings.

Smalltownthrowdown led by one and a quarter lengths in and out of the final turn. His margin of victory was one length.

The pole-assigned Buen Camino (driven by Brian Sears) chased from the pocket and saved second over Meladys Monet (Jason Bartlett). ‘Melady,’ as the 2-5 favourite, was content to sit third until the three quarters, when he left the cones but never seriously threatened.

Wings of Royalty (Steve Smith) crossed the line fourth, but was set down to fifth (behind DWs NY Yank [George Brennan]) for picking off a pylon early in the lane. Homen Dry (Matt Kakaley) brought up the rear.

For second choice ‘Smalltown,’ the victory was his eighth win in what was his 14th seasonal start. The four-year-old Cash Hall gelding is co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard, Yves Sarazin, VIP Internet Stable and Bruce Soulsby. The exacta paid $50, the triactor returned $100 and the superfecta paid $508.

If you were a shrewd, late-morning handicapper, you made some holiday coin and then some. Time Outa Jail (Bartlett, $67) and Dressed To Impress (Gingras, $29.80) combined for a $1,162 early double, while the winners led respective fat exotics…$600 exacta/$2,210 triple (first race) & $633 exacta/$6,495 triple (second race).

Sunday’s ‘New York, New York Double’ wager saw a winning combination of 4-Archival (Aqueduct’s third race) and 5-I C Caviar (Yonkers’ sixth race) returned $8.20 for every correct $1 wager. Total pool was $3,073.

Sunday matinees, along with the ‘New York, New York Double,’ will return on December 3 (post time TBA).

(Yonkers Raceway)