Heavily favoured DWs NY Yank held off Meladys Monet Saturday night, winning the featured $44,000 Open Handicap Trot at Yonkers Raceway on a card that also boasted the first stateside start of Maritime standout Sock It Away.

Away third from assigned post position No. 5, DWs NY Yank (George Brennan) saw Mostinterestingman (Jason Bartlett) lead though intervals of :27.4, :58 and 1:26.3. Having taken out of third before the three-quarters, ‘DW’ began to close the gap.

With Mostinterestingman leading by a length-and-a-quarter in and out of the final turn, DWs NY Yank did eventually collar him late in the lane. He then found the line in time, whipping a from-seventh Meladys Monet (Jordan Stratton) by a nose in 1:56.1.

Third went to Mostinterestingman, with Lilys Swan Pond (Joe Bongiorno) and Chestnut Schofield (Dan Dube) settling for the minors.

For DWs NY Yank, a 10-year-old Dilbert Hanover gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke and Weaver Bruscemi, it was his first win in three seasonal starts. He paid $4.60.

The Saturday feature was one of Brennan’s four wins during the dozen-race card.

Maritime star Sock It Away was a solid runner-up in his U.S. debut Saturday evening at Yonkers Raceway for trainer Andrew Harris and driver Jason Bartlett.

The four-year-old son of Pang Shui-Someone Like You sat a pocket trip behind Roland N Rock, with that foe going the distance in 1:55.1. Sock It Away launched a late attack in the lane, but wound up settling for the runner-up award after falling short by a neck.

The runner-up performance gives Sock It Away 28-4-0 career record from 34 trips to the track for owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford, PE.

(With files from Yonkers)