Veteran Great Vintage had to work for the lead and that worked for him Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Using his usual gate speed, Great Vintage — from post position No. 5 —had an early impediment in Barimah A (Brent Holland). Forced wide around that one, Great Vintage (Mark MacDonald) then continued to the lead, taking over from Robbie Burns N (Greg Merton) before a 27-second opening quarter-mile.

Once he fronted the fray, Great Vintage finished it off (:56.4, 1:24.4, 1:52.4). Second went to a stubborn 17-10 fave Always at My Place (George Brennan), who was also compromised when an out-again Barimah A moved first-up and was his obligatory hard-to-steer self.

Barimah A eventually went back in—again—leaving Always at My Place to take up the chase. Great Vintage, with a length-and-a-half lead entering the lane, defeated Always at My Place by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.

Robbie Burns N was a pocket third, with Run Oneover N (Jim Marohn, Jr.) and that Barimah A rounding out the payees.

For second choice Great Vintage, a 10-year-old son of American Ideal owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Goran Anderberg & Goran Falk and trained by Jimmy Takter, it was his fourth win in 11 seasonal starts. He paid $6.60 to win.

Sunday’s matinee has a first post of 12:30 p.m., with races 1 through 4 of the overflow-field, mile-and-a-quarter ‘French’ theme. The ‘New York, New York Double’ is comprised of Saratoga’s third race and Yonkers’ fifth. Post times are 2:07 p.m. and 2:20 p.m., respectively.

(Yonkers)