Ontario-sired P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett, $5.80) continued his form festival Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Floating out from post position No. 7, P H Supercam found a five-hole as Texican N (Eric Carlson) made the first lead. He then gave it up to extended move from 7-5 fave Bigtown Hero (Brian Sears). That one grabbed the advantage just after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile, then widened by a :55.2 intermission.
P H Supercam then made his second move, going after the leader by the 1:23.4 three-quarters. In and out of the final turn, Bigtown Hero was done. P H Supercam opened a comfy margin, then held off the late surge of Pancetta (Jordan Stratton) by a diminishing head in 1:51.4. Texican N, Dream Out Loud N (Eric Goodell) and Fameous Western (Larry Stalbaum) rounded out the payees.
For second choice P H Supercam, a seven-year-old Million Dollar Cam gelding owned by Bamond Racing and trained by PJ Fraley, it was his 10th win (third consecutive) in 31 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $31,40, with the triple returning $146.50.
Yonkers Raceway Saturday night hosted the sixth annual Fall Harvest Festival, which again spotlighted the thriving relationship between horse racing and agriculture throughout New York State.
All the popular Festival sights, sounds and tastes were there, including live music, pony rides, New York State craft beers, face painting and a pumpkin patch.
Also on the docket was the Legislators' Challenge, where a dozen of the state's elected officials slugged out in the sulky (or double-seated jog cart, as the case may be).
The three, four-horse divisions were won by:
--State Senator Martin Malave Dilan (D-Brooklyn), driving (with some nominal assistance from Jason Bartlett) Critical Acclaim in 2:13.3;
--Repeat "Challenge" Assembly Member Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), driving (again, with Bartlett there for some reason), Sarno in 2:13.3;
--State Senator Phil Boyle (R-Bayshore), driving (with Jordan Stratton as his GPS) Show Me Up in a night’s-fastest 2:11.3.
With all due respect to those who left with Legislators' Challenge bragging rights, the biggest winner was breast cancer awareness and research. Yonkers Raceway, in conjunction with the North America Amateur Drivers Association, donated $15,000 to the Susan G. Komen Greater NYC.
"We were excited to be invited and, obviously, overjoyed with the donation," Linda Tantawi, CEO of Komen Greater NYC said. "It's so important to get tested. Seventy percent of women who develop breast cancer have no family history of the disease.”
To keep with the theme of the evening, drivers carried pink whips, pink horseshoes were given away and pink blankets -- sponsored by a dozen of the Raceway’s leading trainers -- were presented to all the winning horses (a salute to trainer Monica Banca for her role as “blanket point person”).
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)