Yonkers Opens To Feeling You; Brandos Muscle Man
Yonkers Raceway's Friday night $37,000 co-featured Open Handicaps - Pace for the ladies and Trot for any who could pass initiation - were won by millionairess-in-waiting Feeling You and a couldn't-be-any-simpler Brandos Muscle Man.
Ordered behind the eight-ball for her first local try since mid-September, a wide-early Feeling You worked around longshot Fast And Feisty before a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. From there, the 17-10 favourite rated a :57.1 intermission before Campanille moved from fourth. That one quickly went around a dullard in Shootoutthelights before ducking back in.
Meanwhile, Camille was left first-up in and out of a 1:25.1 three-quarters. Feeling You and driver Jason Bartlett opened a couple of lengths in the lane and was never threatened The final margin was tidy length-and-a-quarter in 1:53.2.
The photo could not divide Campanille and Fast Feisty for second, while Rock N Load and Sir Jillian Z Tam came away with the small change.
For Feeling You, a six-year-old Alan Kirshenbaum-bred daughter of Cambest trained by Amber Buter for co-owners Tyler Buter, Stephen Oldford and Oldford Farms, it was her 12th win in 25 seasonal starts (career earnings now at $985,096.
The week's marquee trot saw Brandos Muscle Man, generously assigned post position four, have issues whatsoever (:28.1, :58.2, 1:27.1, 1:56.2) for driver Eric Goodell. Mugshot Jess was loosely pocketed, with an uncovered Haulin Laser not doing much. Brando Muscle Man’s length-and-a-three-quarters turning for home was a length-and-half at the wire. Mugshot Jess was second, with Ex King, Wind Surfer and Likeabatoutahell settling for the remainder.
For Brandos Muscle Man, a five-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding owned and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, he's now 5-for-18 this season.
(Yonkers Raceway)