Not even an assigned eight-hole in a Sunday expanded field could stop favoured Not Afraid (Dan Dube, $4.90) from dominating Yonkers Raceway’s $46,000 featured Open Handicap Trot.

The week’s marquee trot was the third of the seven, French-themed trotting events to begin the card, all at the added (1-1/4 mile) distance and all with overflow (12, 11, four 10 and a nine-horse) fields.

Leaving but having to wait his turn, Not Afraid took over from On The Podium (Eric Carlson) just past a :29-second opening quarter-mile.

Another pair of identical intervals (:58, 1:27) ensued before Count Me In (George Brennan) moved meekly from fourth. That one never came close as Not Afraid rolled through a 1:55.4 mile-post.

He owned a three length lead entering the lane, then widened. The final margin, over Lorenzo Dream (Brian Sears), was four and a half lengths in 2:25.3. Backstreet Hanover (Tyler Buter), Murmur Hanover (Pat Lachance) and Awesome Valley (Brett Miller) rounded out the payees.

For Not Afraid, a six-year-old S Js Caviar gelding trained by Jimmy Takter for co-owners his wife, Christina, John Fielding and Goran Andeberg, he's four-for-six this season (career earnings up and over a half-million dollars).

The exacta paid $42, the triple returned $1,008 and the superfecta paid $3,503.

Note that the next two “French” Sunday matinees are March 8 and 15, with post times TBA as of this writing.

The Raceway’s live season continues Monday (7:10 p.m.), with a $10,000 guaranteed pool Pick 5 (50-cent base wager, races seven through 11). After that, it’s Tuesday (1 p.m.), then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 p.m.). Evening simulcasting accompanies all night programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily (all provided Mother Nature cooperates).

(Yonkers Raceway)