Yonkers Raceway's Friday night $37,000 co-featured Open Handicaps -- Pace for the ladies and Trot for any qualified candidates -- were won by a pocketed Rock N Load (Jordan Stratton, $7.10) and all-age track record-holder Quick Deal (George Brennan, $4.60).
In what turned out to be a two-speed number, eight-hole-ordered Swinging Beauty (Brennan) made the lead around Rock N Load -- from post position No. 5 -- before a :28-second opening quarter-mile. A pokey :58.3 intermission figured to serve the 8-5 favourite well as Collage (Eric Goodell) tried it first-up from sixth.
It was Swinging Beauty leading at the 1:27.1 three-quarters, with a length and a half advantage entering the lane. However, despite Swinging Beauty's cheap fractions, Rock N Load scooted past, ducking inside and winning by a half-length in 1:55.1. Collage held well for third, with Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat Lachance) and Dawns Legacy (Brian Sears) rounding out the payees.
For second choice Rock N Load, a five-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover trained by Danny Gill for co-owners Edward Hall and James Hall Jr., it was her eighth win in 38 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $27.80, with the triple returning $122.
The week's marquee trot saw Quick Deal -- who had previously set and reset the all-age trot track standard (1:53.3, 1:53.2) -- not have to go nearly as fast this night.
Wide and waiting from his assigned eight-ball, the 13-10 choice was out two turns before taking the baton from Zooming (Jason Bartlett). After early intervals of :27.2 and :56.2, last week's Open winner, Brandos Muscle Man (Goodell), moved from fifth.
Meanwhile, Quick Deal was getting some nighttime daylight in and out of a 1:25.2 three-quarters, taking a three and a quarter-length lead into the lane. The final margin was two and three-quarters lengths in 1:55 -- a tick faster than the distaff pacing derby. A left-and-shuffled Likeabatoutahell (Sears) closed for second, with Meladys Monet (Dan Dube), Zooming and 'Brando' completing the cashers.
Quick Deal, a five-year-old Revenue S gelding trained by Ron Burke for co-owners Our Horse Cents Stable and Rossie Smith, is now nine-for-21 this season (fifth consecutive victory). The exacta paid $19.60, the triple returned $178.50 and the superfecta paid $571.
Friday also saw Trace Tetrick win his first local race, with Fox Valley Barbosa ($18.20) in an $8,000, third-race pace (1:55.4).
(Yonkers Raceway)