Favoured Master Pine (Jason Bartlett) and Soiree (Jordan Stratton) grabbed Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night $37,000 co-featured Open Handicaps

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Leaving from post position No. 5 in the weekly featured trot, Master Pine watched the early happenings as the three inside entities--Upsidedown (Jim Pantaleano), Bad Boy Billy (Pat Lachance) and Bet To Win (Brent Holland)--each took turns on the lead.

Bet To Win claimed the controls between the :28.2 opening quarter-mile and :57.3 intermission. Master Pine then moved from fourth, with the leader offering minimal resistance right around the 1:26.3 three-quarters.

Master Pine opened a couple of lengths turning for home before winning by 2-1/2 lengths in a season's-best 1:55.3. Hurrikanebiggeorge (Stephane Bouchard) gapped the cover of the winner but did get into second, with Shoeless White Sox (Jeff Gregory) third.

For Master Pine, a seven-year-old Mater Lavec gelding trained by Julie Miller for co-owners Mark Moger and Albert Delia Jr., he paid $5.10 for his fifth win (second consecutive) in 11 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $18.20, with the triple returning $131.50.

Friday night's distaff derby saw many things go right for Soiree, including getting the wire just in time.

After Monochromatic (Cat Manzi) and Twin Oaks Tess (Bartlett) contested the throne through intervals of :27.4 and :56.3, Chris Cross (Gregory) moved and Soiree hitched a ride. The former had a short lead at the 1:24.2 three-quarters, with the latter about to roll by.

Soiree had a length lead entering the lane, then held a fast-closing, 19-10 choice Western Graduate (Pantaleano) at bay by a diminishing half-length in a life-best 1:53.4. Little Mermaid N (Bouchard) snapped the bottom of the ticket.

For Soiree, a five-year-old daughter of Real Artist co-owned by trainer Paul Blumenfeld, Robert Sadler and Rosanne Miezio, she returned $16.60 (fifth choice) for her sixth win in 16 '10 tries. The exacta paid $84, with the triple returning $530.

(Yonkers Raceway)