Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night, $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps - for distaff pacers and trotters of all ranks and files - were won by a down-the-road Keepers Destiny and a pocket-sitting Looking Hanover.
In play from what became penultimate post position six, Keepers Destiny (George Brennan, $6.10) made the lead around Quicksilvercandy A before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile. From there, a :56.4 intermission before even-money favourite Krispy Apple - who had wedged into an early five-hole - was out and moving. She turned up the volume in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters, but Krispy Apple was not in a giving mood.
She rebuffed the people's choice from that point, winning a match race through the lane by a neck in 1:53.2. Third went to a closing Dont Blame Her , with Quicksilvercandy A and Argument Hanover picking at the post-holiday leftovers.
For second choice Keepers Destiny, a six-year-old daughter of Intrepid Seelster owned by Merlin Howse and trained by Casie Coleman (also the co-breeders), it was her eighth win in 27 seasonal starts and it pushed her lifetime earnings $523,000.
The week's featured trot saw Aisling two-move to the lead and throw down seemingly-comfy intervals of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:26.3. Looking Hanover (Brian Sears, $4) was perched in the two-hole from post five, while Mystical Starlight tried it first-up from sixth. Entering the lane, Aisling had a comfortable lead, but could not close the sale. Looking Hanover ducked in and prevailed, winning by a half-length in 1:56.
It was heater for second between a tiring Aisling and a cone-skimming, 32-1 rank outsider Rookie Mistake, with Mystical Starlight and Celebrity Bluechip grabbing the remainder.
For favoured Looking Hanover, a seven-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding trained by Edwin Gannon, Jr. for co-owners Dawn Marie Gannon and Yannick Gingras, it was his third win in 21 seasonal starts.
(Yonkers Raceway)