Favourite Great Vintage, driven by George Brennan, found the finish when he needed it Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Open Pace.
In play early from post position No. 5, Great Vintage easily stepped around pylon-patrolling Sapphire City (Brent Holland). After a quick, :26.4 opening quarter-mile, the 6-5 choice rated a :56-second intermission.
Great Vintage amped it up down the backside the second time, throwing down a :27.2 third quarter (1:23.2) as Code Word (Jason Bartlett) tried to move out of third. However, that one went nowhere fast as Great Vintage widened to two and a half lengths turning for home.
It was Sapphire City then closing ranks, only to miss by a head-turned nose in 1:51.4. Real Nice (Jordan Stratton)--beaten a half-length--Rock Em (Larry Stalbaum) and Silent Swing (Mark MacDonald) completed the cashers.
For Great Vintage, a four-year-old statebred son of American Ideal trained by Jimmy Takter for his wife, Christina, along with John Fielding, Goran Anderberg and Falkbolagen Ab, he returned $4.40 was his ninth win in 29 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $20.60, with the triple returning $69.
(Yonkers Raceway)