Affirmed Action & Feeling You Double Up
Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps--for trotters along with femme fatale pacers--were won by a repeating Affirmed Action (Jason Bartlett, $21.20) and Feeling You (Tyler Buter, $4.80).
Making the lead from post position No. 7, Affirmed Action worked around Fuel Cell (Brian Sears) before a :28.1 opening quarter-mile. He then rated a :30.1 second quarter (:58.2 half) when, just like a week ago, eight-hole assignee Brandos Muscle Man (George Brennan) made a second move.
Edging from fourth, the 3-2 favourite moved going toward the 1:27 three-quarters, but never really threatened. Celebrity Bluechip (Matt Kakaley) was gapping off the people's choice. That left Affirmed Action with a length and a half lead entering the lane. He then finished it off, whipping Brandos Muscle Man by a half-length in 1:57.
Fuel Cell, Celebrity Bluechip and Master Pine (Jim Pantaleano) rounded out the payees.
For sixth choice Affirmed Action, a seven-year-old homebred son of Conway Hall owned and trained by John Grasso, it was his second win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $79 (the identical payoff for the exact same horses a week ago), with the triple returning $354.50.
The weekly distaff derby saw 7-5 fave Feeling You, leaving from post No. 6, watch as Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland) two-move around Argument Hanover (Kakaley) and put up early intervals of :28 and :58.3.
Feeling You, away third, then engaged the leader during the payoff portion of the program. She was getting serious in and out of the 1:27 three-quarters, then had her nose in front off the final turn. Feeling You then held sway, winning by a measured half-length in 1:55.4.
Second went to a closing Dont Point At (Jeff Gregory), with Campanile (Brennan), Frontierpan (Bartlett) and Argument Hanover grabbing the small change.
For Feeling You, a six-year-old daughter of Cambest trained by Amber Buter for co-owners Buter the driver, Oldford Farms and Stephen Oldford, it was her second win in a as many '13 tries. The exacta paid $30.40, the triple returned $131 and the superfecta paid $898.
(Yonkers Raceway)