Not Afraid Wins Yonkers Open Trot

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Published: January 11, 2015 06:08 pm EST

Yonkers Raceway’s first French-exported program of the season went postward Sunday afternoon.

The first seven races on the dozen-race card were oversized fields (11, 12, 10, 10, 9, 10 and 10 trotters, respectively, after scratches) at the mile-and-one-quarter distance.

The seven races attracted 1.16 million Euros (approximately 1.38 million U.S. dollars) to an audience which included France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spanish Basque community, Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, Holland, Estonia and Malta.

The week’s marquee trot, a $44,000 blind-draw Open, featured the standard eight starters at the standard eight furlongs. It also featured a predictable result with 2-5 fave Not Afraid (Dan Dube) -- from post position No. 5 -- going as the distance (:28.4, :57.4, 1:26.3, 1:55.1) to win as he pleased. The final margin was five lengths over second choice Backstreet Hanover (Eric Carlson), with Take My Picture (Jason Bartlett) third and In Nomine Patri (Jim Marshall III) fourth.

The gimmicks returned $5.60 (exacta), $11.80 (triple, three wagering choices in order) and $89.50 (superfecta).

Not Afraid, a now-six-year-old S Js Caviar gelding trained by Jimmy Takter for his wife, Christina, John Fielding and Goran Andeberg, earned more than $154,000 a season ago.

Special Sunday props to driver Brent Holland, who is taking his talents to Miami...Valley, that is. The affable Holland, an Ohio native, is relocating there and Yonkers Raceway employees and horsemen wish him well. Holland did win Sunday’s $15,500, second race with favoured Bambino Hall ($4.50), trotting the added distance in 2:31.2.

The Raceway’s live season continues Monday night (7:10 p.m.).

(Yonkers Raceway)

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