A pocketed Wings Of Royalty (Steve Smith, $17) and a first-up Melmerby Beach (Dan Dube, $12.40) tickled the twine Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s first-of-the-month $45,000 co-featured Open Handicaps.
Wings Of Royalty worked out a cozy trip from the post position No. 3, nestled in behind a four-wide-early Meladys Monet (Jason Bartlett) in the week’s marquee trot.
The 3-4 choice led through intervals of :27.1, :57.1 and 1:26, hounded by Money Maven (Brent Holland) entering the lane. ‘Melady’ put away that rival, but was beaten up the inside by a pair of others.
Wings Of Royalty whipped E R Ellie (Jordan Stratton) by a half-length in 1:55.1, with Meladys Monet tiring to third. Luminosity (George Brennan) and Money Maven rounded out the payees.
For fourth choice Wings Of Royalty, a four-year-old son of RC Royalty owned by Ray Campbell Jr. and trained by George Ducharme, the win was his fifth in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $143.50, with the triple returning $512.
As for Melmerby Beach, he moved from fourth in the weekly pacing feature. He moved to challenge Winds Of Change (Holland), who had quarter-moved around Lucan Hanover (Eric Goodell).
The leader (:27.2, :56.3, 1:24.1) was duelled into submission in and out of the final turn, with Melmerby Beach taking over and holding sway. He defeated a second-up, slight 2-1 fave Polak A (Joe Bongiorno) by three-quarters of a length.
Dream Out Loud N (Tyler Buter) was a ground-saving third, with Mach It So (Bartlett) and Winds Of Change settling for the remainder. The cashers were separated by just a length and a half, while the entire octet was divided by just three and three-quarter lengths.
For fourth choice Melmerby Beach, a five-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere owned and trained by Ettore Annunziata, he’s now five-for-32 this season. The exacta paid $100, the triple returned $400 and the superfecta paid $1,511.
In between the co-features, out popped Americanprimetime (Stratton, $7.20), who beat up his rivals by seven lengths in the $35,000 Four-Year-Old Open Handicap Pace. The time of 1:50.1 matched the all-age track record (Crombie A, Forty Five Red, Limelight Beach and Go Daddy Go).
The son of American Ideal is trained by Rick Dane Jr. for Rock And Roll Stable.
(Yonkers Raceway)