Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $35,000 featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace was won by a cone-skimming Robin Cruiser (Jordan Stratton, $15.40).

Unhurried early from post position No. 6, Stratton watched as slight 2-1 favourite Coffee Addict (Dan Dube) step around Jonsie Jones (Greg Merton). After early intervals of :27-seconds and :56.3, Lets Go Higher (Eric Carlson) moved from third. That one harassed the leader in and out of the 1:25.2 three-quarters.

Coffee Addict dealt with that interloper, taking a length and a quarter lead into the lane. However, she was about to give it up, leading to a blanket finish. Robin Cruiser, fourth along the cones, dove deep inside and prevailed, whipping UF Dragons Rocket (Mark MacDonald, three winners Friday) by a three-quarters of a length in 1:54.1. Last week’s victress, Rockaround Sue (Jason Bartlett), closed from last to grab third, with Coffee Addict and Jonsie Jones settling for the minor awards.

The five cashers were separated by a length and a half at the wire.

It was a change of tact for “Robin,” who was snapped on the money in her last two starts at odds of 3-1 and 3-5.

For fifth choice Robin Cruiser, a five-year-old homebred daughter of Yankee Cruiser owned by Pinske Stables and trained by Julie Miller, it was her eighth win in 29 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $125.50, the triple returned $510 and the superfecta paid $2,243.

Note that since no one hit Friday’s Pick 5, Saturday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $2,093.98 (50-cent base wager, races five through nine).

(Yonkers Raceway)