Yonkers Raceway's Friday night pair of $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps--for distaff pacers and everyone-welcome trotters--were won by Feeling You ($8.90) and odds-on, on-a-roll Blacktuxwhitesocks ($3.20), both driven by Eric Goodell.
Assigned post position No. 5, Feeling You two-moved around Keepers Destiny (Jim Pantaleano), making the lead again after a :27.3 opening quarter mile. It was a soft, :30-second next fraction (:57.3 half) before Royal Cee Cee N (catch-driver Jeff Gregory)--who had tucked fifth--was again on the move.
She wound up second-over behind Shaky Hanover (Larry Stalbaum), but that one's bid wasn't much. So, the 3-5 Royal Cee Cee N went wide in and out of the 1:25.1 three-quarters, while Feeling You widened to two and three-quarters lengths into the lane.
The leader keep that same margin to the wire, which she found in 1:53.3. It was Royal Cee Cee N getting into second, with Keepers Destiny, Rock N Soul (Jason Bartlett) and Mystical MJ (Mark MacDonald) rounding out the payees.
For second choice Feeling You, a five-year-old daughter of Cambest trained by Amber Buter for co-owners Gallicchio Racing Stable, Tyler Buter and Vincent Cannella, she's now 12-for-30 this season. The exacta paid $24.20, with the triple returning $100.
The week's marquee saw 20-1 shot Brandos Muscle Man (catch-driver Pantaleano) gave his backers a sense of entitlement, leading through early intervals of :28.1 and :59. Pocketed was Celebrity Bluechip (Bartlett), while 3-5 choice Blacktuxwhitesocks--ordered outside his seven rivals--settled fourth with the catch-driving Goodell.
'Blacktux' eased out coming to the half, engaging the stubborn longshot before and after the 1:27.2 three-quarters. In fact, it was 'Brando's nose in front turning for home, but Blacktuxwhitesocks eventually did put that one away. He then held off an edging-from-the-pocket Celebrity Bluechip by a half-length in 1:57. 'Brando' held third, with Rookie Mistake (Stalbaum) and Grain Of Truth (Gregory) coming away with the minor spoils.
For Blacktuxwhitesocks, a five-year-old statebred Credit Winner gelding trained by Trond Smedshammer for owner Purple Haze Stables, it was his 11th win (sixth consecutive) in 22 '12 tries. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $8.30, the triple returned $99.50 and the superfecta paid $458.50.
Yonkers' final stakes night of the season goes Saturday, Nov. 10, with the $415,820 Messenger Stakes (three-year-old colts/geldings)--final jewel of the pacing Triple Crown--and its companion event, the $229,440 Lady Maud Pace (three-year-old fillies). Both races are to be drawn Tuesday afternoon.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)