Say this much for Yonkers Raceway's all-age trot track record...it has a short shelf life
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Barely a month after the four-year-old gelding Baby Boy Grin (Larry Stalbaum) threw down a 1:54.4 gauntlet, another four-year-old gelding did him one tick better.
Shutter Boy and Yannick Gingras made quick work of Friday night's co-featured, $40,000 Open Handicap Trot. Leaving from post position No. 6 as the 4-5 favourite, Shutter Boy worked his way around Winnin Image (Greg Grismore) after a :28.3 opening quarter-mile. He was then left up to his devices through a :57.2 intermission and 1:26 three-quarters.
Shutter Boy was 4-1/2 lengths to the good turning for home, then continued to pile it on passing the pylons. He widened to 6-3/4 lengths at the wire in that 1:54.3. Winnin Image held second over Tell Me a Story (Brent Holland), with Dennis (Jordan Stratton) and Batalj Launcher (Jason Bartlett) completing the cashers.
For Shutter Boy, a son of Yankee Glide trained by John McDermott for owner Scott Brannon, he returned $3.60 for his eighth win in 30 '09 tries. The exacta paid $14, with the triple returning $105.50.
Ironically, Shutter Boy's last win here--a 1:55 effort--came one night after Baby Boy Grin set his month-long track record.
"When I won with him that night, John [McDermott] said we should have had the track record," Gingras said. "He was kidding...I think.
"He's really a talented trotter. Sometimes, his minds get off his job, but he has a lot of speed and I wanted to give a chance at the record tonight."
Friday night's co-featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace went to a down-the-road Still Electric (Bartlett $8.30) in 1:53.2.
Yonkers also congratulated driver Jeff Gregory for his 6,000th career victory, a milestone reached Wednesday afternoon at Freehold Raceway. Of course, Yonkers dutifully had the sign ready in case Gregory reached that number there. However, Gregory dutifully failed to accommodate, but since the sign was not returnable, Yonkers gave him the accolades anyway.
Saturday night offers a pair of $20,000 eliminations for the Lady Maud Pace for three-year-old fillies. Leading the way is Breeders Crown winner Yellow Diamond. The first four finishers in each five-horse elim return for next Saturday night's $364,430 final, the same night as the $542,060 one-dash-for-the-cash Messenger Stakes.
The alphabetical roster for the Messenger includes Clear Vision, Doubleshotascotch, Fireintheshark, Hail Storm, Hypnotic Blue Chip, Breeders Crown/Art Rooney winner If I Can Dream and Straight Shooting.
(Yonkers Raceway)