Pole assignee Sapphire City (Dan Dube, $7.80) held off favoured Pancetta (Jordan Stratton) Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.

It was Aracache Hanover (George Brennan) cutting his teeth through fractions of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23, with only mild, first-up pressure from longshot Dream Out Loud N (Eric Goodell). “Aracache” owned a length and a half lead into the lane, but was done soon thereafter.

Pancetta, the 11-10 choice, set up shop over and closed stoutly, but Sapphire City -- deposited into the passing lane -- whipped that one by a half-length 1:51, a season’s-best by three full seconds. Dream Out Loud N held credibly for third, with invading Getitoffyourchest (Brent Holland) and The Real One (Pat Lachance) settling for the minor moolah.

For second choice Sapphire City, a eight-year-old Metropolitan gelding owned by Centaur Stable and Jordan Sklut and trained by Paul Blumenfeld, it was his third win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $20.40, with the triple returning $115.

Also Saturday, a pair of $25,000 eliminations for the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings was contested. Leading the octet into Saturday’s $125,000 finale are winners In The Arsenal (Goodell, $13.80) in 1:56.2 and Carton Daddy (Brennan, $3.20) in 1:56.1.

The winners, trained by Kelvin Harrison and Ron Burke, respectively, shall be joined next week Byby Landon, Mystical Pacer, Rock N Roll World, Lone Survivor, Perfect Eagle and Parklane Eagle. The open draw is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

(Yonkers Raceway)