Spirit Of Desire (Jason Bartlett, $9.20) outfought Palm Patrol (Mark MacDonald) in a good, old-fashioned match race Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $35,000 featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
In play early from post position No. 5, Spirit Of Desire worked around Palm Patrol just at a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. After a :57.2 intermission, Momma Rock (Brian Sears) tried it first-up from fourth. However, that bid was weak at best as Spirit Of Desire found a 1:25.4 three-quarters.
She and her “stalker” then had the race to themselves through the lane. Palm Patrol appeared to grab a short lead, but the aptly-named Spirit Of Desire stuck her tongue out on the money in 1:55. Momma Rock wound up a best-of-the-rest third, beaten more than seven lengths. Last week’s victress—and this week’s slight 5-2 choice—Set Me Up (George Brennan) and Cooking The Books (Eric Carlson) rounded out the payees.
For fourth choice Spirit Of Desire, a five-year-old daughter of Real Desire trained by Tim Lancaster for co-owners Bill Lancaster, Neal Rosenberg and Margaret Ames, it was her second win in as many seasonal starts The exacta paid $52.50, with the triple returning $272.
(Yonkers Raceway)