Yonkers Raceway’s regular pair of Friday night $38,000 Open Handicaps -- for distaff pacers and either-gender trotters -- were won by Little Santamonica (Jason Bartlett) and Coraggioso (Brian Sears).

Little Santamonica, the upstate scourge making her first local try since late March, floated out from post position No. 6 (in one notch after an inside defection) before taking back. She saw the two (7-5) wagering choices in favoured Summertime Lea (George Brennan) and Shelliscape (Brian Sears) in play early with intervals of :27 and :55.3.

Virgin Mary (Matt Kakaley) moved from fifth, with Little Santamonica on that one’s tail. However, it remainded Shelliscape’s race in and out of the 1:24.3 three-quarters, taking a length lead in and out of the final turn. Summertime Lea dove inside, but she wasn’t the problem. It was Little Santamonica tipping wide and going by, whipping a game Virgin Mary by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.2. Shelliscape faded to third, with Summertime Lea and Keystone Wanda (Brent Holland) rounded out the payees.

Little Santamonica, a five-year-old daughter of Little Steven owned by Kelly Dawn Hope and trained by Jordan Hope, returned $21.20 (fourth choice) for her eighth win (fifth consecutive) in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $139.50, with the triple returning $685.

The week’s marquee trot saw even-money favourite Coraggioso wide early from behind the eight-ball, but wrapped up late. He worked around Tober (Bartlett), then threw down the gauntlet to the tune of :28.1, :57.1, 1:26.2 and 1:55. The final margin was a drifting three-quarters of a length, but the final result was never up for debate. Tober chased and held second, with Awesome Valley (Brennan), Swishnflick (Larry Stalbaum) and Harbor Point (Eric Carlson) coming away with the remainder.

Coraggioso is a five-year-old homebred/statebred son of Conway Hall co-owned by Tom Durkin and Joe Spadaro, and trained by Julie Miller. He returned $4 for his fifth win in 13 ’14 tries (up and over $600,000 in career earnings). The exacta paid $16.60, the triple returned $86 and the superfecta paid $291.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)