New Zealand import Let It Ride N improved his record since coming to the United States to six-for-six with a 1:52.1 victory from post position eight in the $30,000 Open Handicap Pace on Monday night at Yonkers Raceway as the 2021 meet kicked off.

Let It Ride had regular pilot Dexter Dunn at the controls, and Dunn floated away from the outside draw, landing a seat in sixth in the first turn. Meanwhile, Bettor Memories (George Brennan) shot out to the lead from the pole position and cut the opening quarter in 27 seconds. Bettor Memories would continue to show the way to the :56.3 half-mile marker, but Hesa Kingslayer (Jim Marohn Jr.), another New Zealand-bred, went first-over from fifth just prior to that marker, giving Let It Ride cover to track. 

Bettor Memories remained in the lead at the 1:24.3 three-quarters and was able to keep Hesa Kingslayer at bay around the far turn as well, but Dunn turned Let It Ride loose three-wide before they entered the stretch, and he would out-finish his competition while not asked by Dunn, winning by a comfortable length.

Speed Man, a Kiwi transplant driven by Scott Zeron, slid out off the cones to follow Let It Ride after three-quarters and wound up closing for second at 99-1, while Hesa Kingslayer came in third, giving the race an all-New Zealand trifecta. 

An eight-year-old gelding by Rock N Roll Heaven and out of the Bettors Delight mare Love A Gamble, Let It Ride N is trained by Nifty Norman for owner Enzed Racing Stable Inc.

Let It Ride, who was a two-time Group 1 race winner in Australia in 2018, has a record of 24-6-8 from 60 career starts and has now earned $375,959. He paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite. The exacta with Speed Man kicked back $61.50, and the trifecta of 8-3-5 was worth $129.50. 

On the wagering front, the first edition of the new $1 Pick 6 at Yonkers had a pool of $2,839, and the sequence of 1/1/2/1,2/8/5 returned $355.50. The 50-cent Pick 5 handled $13,964, and the winning combination of 2/1,2/8/5/1 paid $122.00. As a reminder, the takeout on the Pick 4’s, Pick 5’s, and Pick 6’s at Yonkers is now 20 percent.

Live harness racing at Yonkers will resume on Tuesday night with first post at 7:15, and the track will continue on a Monday-Friday schedule throughout 2021.

(Yonkers)