Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps—one for distaff pacers and one for trotters—were won by a pocketed Set Me Up and a two-move Meladys Monet.
The week’s fairer-sex feature was strictly a two-speed number, with slight 2-1 favourite Set Me Up—in play from post position four—grabbing the first lead for driver George Brennan before surrendering to Scandalous Hanover (Brian Sears). That one threw down early weigh stations of :28.1 and :58.1 as longshot Simple Saver N (Eric Carlson) tried it first-up. A brisk, :27.3 third quarter (1:25.4) dispatched that challenge as Scandalous Hanover owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. However, Set Me Up edged in and edged past, winning by head-fought head in 1:54. Coffee Addict (Dan Dube) rallied well for third.
For Set Me Up, a five-year-old daughter of Shark Gesture co-owned (as Burke Racing Stable LLC) by trainer Ron Burke and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, it was her seventh win in 30 seasonal starts.
The week’s marquee trot saw Meladys Monet, assigned post seven, leave into a comfy three-hole for driver Jason Bartlett. It was Andie Sophia (Dan Dube) leading through intervals of (:28.1, :57.4 and 1:26.2), with Meladys Monet—having taken out past the half—about to wear that one down.
Meladys Monet secured the lead in and out of the final turn, then widened. The final margin was 2-½ lengths in 1:54.4. Second went to Andie Sophia, with 7-5 choice Bambino Glide (Sears) rounding out the top three finishers.
For second choice Meladys Monet, a five-year-old Revenue S gelding trained by Melady Enterprises and trained by Kevin McDermott, he’s now 5-for-23 this season.
Saturday’s stakes-stuffed program includes the $500,000 Yonkers Trot, $500,000 Messenger Stakes, $250,000 International Trot Preview (1-¼ miles), $150,854 Lady Maud and $124,590 Hudson Filly Trot. Those races comprise a $20,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool and there’s also a T-shirt giveaway.
(Yonkers Raceway)