George Brennan was the man of the hour Saturday, Feb. 16, taking both halves of Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 co-featured Open Handicaps.

It was a second-up-to-first-home move by Don Domingo N in the week’s adult pace. From post position five, he watched as just-over-even-money favourite Bettors Fire N lead through cheapy subsections of :28.2, 58.3 and 1:26.3.

Hitching a lift behind season-debuting Somewhere In L A, Don Domingo N—in his first Open ‘Cap start—did get within range. Bettors Fire N owned a length lead into the lane, but Don Domingo N gunned him down in the lane to win in 1:54.2. Somewhere In L A was a credible third, with Our Zak Whitby A and Bit Of A Legend N settling for the remainder.

For second-choice Don Domingo N, a seven-year-old Down-Under American Ideal gelding owned by William Hartt and trained by Lance Hudson, it was his fifth win in six seasonal/U-S starts. He paid $5.80 to win. The exacta paid $11, the triple returned $80 and the superfecta paid $240.

The weekly trotting feature was not for the squeamish, reduced to a field of five after Meladys Monet came up ill and two of the starters broke. What resulted was a two-speed, two-favourite, soft-fractions number and DWs NY Yank beating Smalltownthrowdown by a length-and-a-quarter, matching a season’s-best effort in 1:56.1.

Fearless Man and Lilys Swan Pond flipped positions after the former was deemed to have interfered with the latter. Weslynn Dancer brought up the quintet rear.

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 second win in four seasonal starts. He paid $4.50 to win. The exacta paid $13.60, with triple and superfecta wagering cancelled due to short staffing.