Royal Cee Cee N held off Feeling You and Put On A Show in a three-across finish to win the co-featured $35,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace on Friday night at Yonkers Raceway.
In play from post position No. 7, Royal Cee Cee N ($6.80) and driver George Brennan found a seat third as Rock N Soul (Jason Bartlett) put last week's victress, Krispy Apple (Yannick Gingras), in behind before a :27 opening quarter-mile.
After a :56.1 intermission, Royal Cee Cee N moved again, with Feeling You (Tyler Buter) towed along.
As for double-millionairess Put On A Show (Brian Sears), making her small-track debut, she watched the early floor show from her eight-hole environs before edging out to race fourth-over.
Meanwhile, Rock N Soul was coming under siege by the first-up foe in and out of the 1:23.4 three-quarters. Her lead in the polls was gone early in the lane, as Royal Cee Cee N took over. Krispy Apple, seeing something in the passing lane she didn't like, either jumped a shadow or broke.
While that one was losing all chance, Put On a Show--the slightest of 2-1 favourites--was uncorking her bid from last, setting up a bang-bang finish. When the imaginary dust settled, Royal Cee Cee N was a neck better than Feeling You in 1:52.4. Put On A Show, with her :27.4 final quarter, settled for third, beaten a half-length. A recovering Krispy Apple and Rock N Soul grabbed the remainder.
For second-choice Royal Cee Cee N, a sic-year-old Down Under daughter of Christian Cullen owned and trained by Mark Harder, it was her ninth win (four-for-six since hitting town) in 26 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $28, with the triple returning $185.50.
The $35,000 Open Trot saw the Brennan-driven Brandos Muscle Man ($9.10)--leaving from post No. 4--sit pocketed to 11-10 choice Looking Hanover (Gingras) through early intervals of :28.1 and :57.3. It was Bambino Hall (Jim Pantaleano) offering a challenge in earnest from the half to the 1:26.3 three-quarters, with the lass Mystical Starlight methodically moving to catch that one.
Turning for home, 'Brando' ducked inside while Mystical Starlight rolled wide. Inside whipped wide by a head in 1:56.3. Looking Hanover faded to third--beaten two and a half lengths--with Take My Picture (Sears) and Big Sky Storm (Jordan Stratton) carving up the minor moolah.
For second-choice Brandos Muscle Man, a four-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding owned and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, it was his eighth win in 30 '12 starts. The exacta paid $87.50, the triple returned $204.50 and the superfecta paid $906.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)