Going into Yonkers Raceway's $40,000 Open Handicap Pace, Jordan Stratton wasn't supposed to drive and Classic Line N didn't figure to win

. That's why we race 'em.

Classic Line N, dismissed as Saturday night's 27-1 rank outsider, saved all the ground and--for this Mother's Day Eve--authored a mother of an upset.

Leaving from post position No. 2, Classic Line N watched the early floor show as 7-10 choice Four Trumps A (Larry Stalbum)--he of the four-for-four local resume--left wide for the lead from the assigned outside seven-hole.

Pole-sitting Digital Z Tam (Pat Lachance) stung the favourite to a :26.4 opening quarter-mile. The people's preference found a :55.1 intermission and 1:23.2 three-quarters before B B Torio (Ryan Anderson) moved from third. Psilvuheartbreaker (Jim Meittinis), looped by the favourite early before getting a seat, tried to go with B B Torio but couldn't match strides.

The favourite had a length-and-a-half lead entering the lane before the walls began caving in.

Digital Z Tam ducked in and Rain Train (Stephane Bouchard) closed wide, but it was Classic Line N employing the "shortest distance between two points" theory. He went deep in the passing lane, winning by a hafl-length in 1:52.1, a life-mark which matched the fastest local mile of the season. Four Trumps A held second, with Rain Train, B B Torio and the dead-head duo of Digital Z Tam and Blue Boy (Jason Bartlett, four winners Saturday) grabbing the small change.

Bartlett, by the way, leaves for Norway and the World Driving Championship Tuesday.

While we wish Cat Manzi a speedy recovery, we should note that three of the winners during the 11-race Saturday card (including the feature) were scheduled Manzi drives.

For Classic Line N, a six-year-old Down Under son of Life Sign trained by Darren Cassar for Pace To Place and Fiddler's Creek Stables, he returned $57.50 for his fifth win in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $181.50, with the triple returning $1,114.

(Yonkers Raceway)