Yonkers Raceway's Friday night $37,000 co-featured Open Handicaps -- Pace for the ladies and a Trot for all qualified -- were won by a to-the-house Royal Cee Cee N (Jim Pantaleano, $5.30) and a lane-finding Brandos Muscle Man (Jordan Stratton, $39.60).
In the game early from post position No. 4, 8-5 favourite Royal Cee Cee N worked around Cocoa Beach (Stratton), making the lead before a :27-second opening quarter-mile. After a :57-second half, Rock N Soul (George Brennan) tried it from sixth.
When Rock N Load (Dan Dube) gapped that one, Campanile (Brandon Simpson) slipped out from third on the cones to race second-over. Meanwhile, Royal Cee Cee N maintained her advantage in and out of the 1:25.2 three-quarters.
With a length and a half lead into the lane, Royal Cee Cee N won by that exact same margin in 1:53.4. Campanile photoed Cocoa Beach for second, with Mibestketpsecret (Mark MacDonald) and Hulas Z Tam (Pat Lachance) rounding out the payees.
For Royal Cee Cee N, a seven-year-old Down Under daughter of Christian Cullen owned and trained by Mark Harder, it was her seventh win in 22 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $30.80, with the triple returning $112.
The featured trot saw a trio of bad actors, including 19-10 choice DW NYs Yank (Brennan) and last week's winner, Somebody AS (Jason Bartlett).
Of those minding their manners, Hesgotlegs (MacDonald) fronted the fray through early intervals of :27.1 and :56.4. It was Brandos Muscle Man pocketed from post No. 2 as leader began to buckle past the 1:26.2 three-quarters. Likeabatoutahell (Eric Goodell) went up and over the leader, with Can I Say (Dube) on second-up.
Likeabatoutahell was the first to the lead off the final turn. He turned the baton over to Can I Say, but 'Brando' slipped out from behind a tiring leader, found room and went by. The margin was a half-length in 1:56. Can I Say was second, with 'Likeabat,' DWs NY Yank and Fox Valley Steffen settling for the small change.
For rank outsider (eight choice) 'Brando,' a five-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding owned and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, he's now four-for-14 this season. The exacta paid $358.50, the triple returned $2,230 and the superfecta paid $19,111 (base $2 payout, 10-cent ticket worth $955.55).
Saturday night is the annual Fall Harvest Series. The $400,000 event offers eight, $50,000 races for New York-bred two and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits who were not eligible for last weekend's Night of Champions. The Fall Harvest Series goes as races two through nine on the 13-race card.
Since no one negotiated Yonkers Raceway's Friday night Pick 5, the resulting carryover of $3,322.65 becomes a $10,000 guaranteed pool for Saturday. The Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager offered on races five through nine nightly. It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Friday), the entire pool (minus takeout) is supplemented into the next racing program.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)