Quebec-Owned Mare Wins Yonkers Open
![Yagonnakissmeornot-MikeLizzi-ed.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/headline_image_1024_x_577/public/Yagonnakissmeornot-MikeLizzi-ed.jpg?itok=5Y7MfvaV)
Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night $33,000 Open Handicaps -- a Pace for the ladies and a Trot for all who knew the secret password -- were won by a formful Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube, $4.90) and an equally-so DWs NY Yank (George Brennan, $4.30).
Leaving -- as the second choice -- from post position No. 5, former WEG series winner Yagonnakissmeornot worked around Summer Snow (Larry Stalbaum), making the lead before a :27.3 opening quarter-mile.
From there, she gave no one else a shot, including 6-5 favourite Economy Terror (Ron Pierce). That one moved from fifth before a :57.1 intermission.
A :27.3 third quarter (1:24.4) widened the leader’s advantage, as she opened a length and three-quarters into the lane. Yagonnakissmeornot then drew out, winning by three and a quarter lengths in a season’s-best 1:52.4. Royal Cee Cee N (Brian Sears) rallied into second, with last week’s winner, Cocoa Beach (Matt Kakaley), Summer Snow and Economy Terror rounded out the payees.
For Yagonnakissmeornot, a five-year-old daughter of The Panderosa co-owned by trainer Rene Allard (as Allard Racing) along with Quebec's Yves Sarazin and New York's Kapildeo Singh, the win was her third in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $32.20, with the triple returning $128.50.
The week’s marquee trot saw 11-10 choice DWs NY Yank -- assigned outside his seven rivals -- in play early. He made the lead from Zooming (Tyler Buter) just after a :27.2 opening interval.
From there, a cheap :58.2 intermission before Super Manning (Kakaley) engaged from sixth...and engage he did, hooking the leader in and out of the 1:27 three-quarters.
Those two took their beef all the way to the line, with the margin -- DWs NY Yank up a nose into the lane -- the same at the 1:55.4 wire. Backstreet Hanover (Eric Carlson) belated split those two to finish third, beaten a head, while Zooming and Fortunista (Jason Bartlett) settled for the remainder.
For 'DW,' a five-year-old Dilbert Hanover gelding co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing) along with Pennsylvania's Weaver Bruscemi and Howard Taylor, the win was his fifth in seven '14 tries (four-for-four at Yonkers). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $12.60, the triple returned $63.50 and the superfecta paid $158.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)