Yonkers Raceway's misting Friday night pair of $44,000 co-featured Open Handicaps for distaff pacers and either-gender trotters--were won by a repeating Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland, $13.40) and a freakishly-formful Blacktuxwhitesocks (George Brennan, $2.40).
At the outset of the fairer-sex foray, it was the returning Feeling You (Eric Goodell) and Rock N Soul (Jason Bartlett) doing battle. The former, as the 13-10 choice, leap-frogged to the lead after :27.3 opening quarter-mile. Late Flyin N (Mark MacDonald), who also left, sat third.
Feeling You fronted the fray past a :56-second intermission before the lone three-year-old, Moonlit Dragon (Dan Dube), moved from fourth. That gave Naughtytiltheend, away fifth from post position No. 5, someone to chase in and out of a 1:24.3 three-quarters.
Meanwhile, Feeling You, back at Yonkers for the first time since early August, was feeling the pinch. After taking a length and a half lead into the lane, she tired noticeably. It was Naughtytiltheend getting the jump on a third-over Best Boss (Pat Lachance), then beating that one by a half-length in 1:53.1. Rock N Soul, Moonlit Dragon and Feeling You rounded out the payees.
For second-choice Naughtytiltheend, a five-year-old daughter of Western Ideal trained by Erv Miller for owner Diamond Creek Farm, it was her fourth win in 31 seasonal starts (career earnings now past $600,000). The exacta paid $115, with the triple returning $753.
The week's marquee trot--reduced to six after a pair of defections--saw last week's winner Celebrity Bluechip (Bartlett) two-move around Coach Fox (Larry Stalbaum). Blacktuxwhitesocks, whose assigned eight-hole became a starting six-hole after those scratches, settled in fourth.
Celebrity Bluechip led past early intervals of :28.1 and :57.4, before the 1-5 'Blacktux' went to work. He went past the pacesetter before the 1:27 three-quarters, owning a two-length lead in the lane and widening to win by three and a quarter lengths in 1:55.4. Backstreet Hanover (Holland), last early, rallied into second, with Bank President (Dube), Celebrity Bluechip and Coach Fox completed the cashers. On the Tab, the 2010 Yonkers Trot champ who had been racing well against lesser foes since returning to town, trailed here.
For Blacktuxwhitesocks, a five-year-old statebred Credit Winner gelding trained by Trond Smedshammer for owner Purple Haze Stables, it was his 10th win (fifth consecutive) in 21 '12 tries (career earnings up and over $800,000). The exacta paid $10, the triple returned $46.20 and the superfecta was cancelled due to the abbreviated assemblage.
(Yonkers Raceway)