Lightning Treasure, Gurf Repeat At Yonkers

Lightning Treasure, driven by Dan Dube, made it look simple from the eight-hole Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $38,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace

.

In play early, Lightning Treasure moved around Quicksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum) before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile. She then stole a :30.2 second quarter (:57.3 half), forcing first-up, 4-5 fave Pancleefandarpels (George Brennan) to chase.

After a 1:26 three-quarters, Lightning Treasure opened a 2-3/4 length lead turning for home. She found a 1:53.4 mile marker, and was never threatened in 2:01 for the mile-and-one-sixteenth. Pancleefandarpels was a best-of-the-rest second--beaten 3-1/4 lengths--with Best Boss (Pat Lachance), Summer Snow (Jordan Stratton) and Ramona Disomma (Jason Bartlett) grabbing the remainder of the paycheques.

For Lightning Treasure, a six-year-old daughter of Western Ideal trained by Keith Armer for Lightning Stable, she returned $18.80 (fifth choice) for her eighth win (second consecutive) in 28 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $40.60, with the triple returning $226.

Friday night’s co-featured $38,000 Open Handicap Trot was a two-speed, form number with 6-5 favourite Gurf, driven by Yannick Gingras, holding off second choice KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) in an added-distance 2:04.

Leaving from post position No. 4, Gurf reclaimed from his rival right at the :28.2 opening quarter. He then found a soft :58.2 half and 1:27.4 three-quarters, with longshot Reigning Dough (Jim Doherty) moving weakly first-over. Entering the lane, Gurf--after a 1:56.3 mile--needed to only hold off KLM Express. The former, kept to his task, beat the latter by a half-length.

Hurrikanebiggeorge (Dube), Libra Vita (Brennan) and Rose Run Hooligan (Stratton) picked off the small change.

For the formful Gurf, a six-year-old Self Possessed gelding owned by David Neilson and trained by Rosemary Smutz, he returned $4.40 for his ninth win (three in a row) in 38 '11 tries. The exacta paid $15.60, the triple returned $64.50 and the superfecta paid $219.50.

Roll With Joe, the richest harness horse in North America this season, is the 3-5 morning line favourite from post position No. 3 for Saturday night's 56th edition of the Messenger Stakes.

The final leg of the Pacing Triple Crown, worth $401,000 goes as the sixth race (post time approximately 8:50 p.m.).

Here is a look at the field for the Messenger, in post position order with morning-line odds:

1. Sea Venture (Bartlett, 10-1)
2. Mojo Terror (Brian Sears, 5-1)
3. Roll With Joe (Ron Pierce, 3-5)
4. Sir Ziggys Tam (Lachance, 8-1)
5. Keystone Velocity (Dube, 30-1)
6. Rollwithitharry (Jim Morrill Jr., 15-1)

The companion event to the Messenger, the $194,890 Lady Maud Pace for three-year-old fillies, goes a four-horse, non-bettor at 6 p.m. Here is the field in post position order:

1. Krispy Apple (Morrill Jr.)
2. Rocklamation (Sears)
3. City Delight (Bartlett)
4. New Album (Pierce)

(Yonkers Raceway)

Have something to say about this? Log in or create an account to post a comment.