Runover Feeling successfully defended his weekly pacing feature title, winning Yonkers Raceway's $36,000 Open Handicap Pace in a bang-up effort
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With George Brennan driving for trainer Mark Ford, Runover Feeling was engaged in his own private match race with tepid 2-1 favourite Giddy Up Lucky (Jason Bartlett) for the better part of the final half-mile.
That scenario emerged when Runover Feeling--leaving from post position No. 5 after an inside defection--moved from fifth. He went up and over the early leader, Livestrong (Yannick Gingras), after a :57-second intermission.
Giddy Up Lucky, left first-up after the new leader grabbed the baton, drew even at the three-quarter pole, ensuring a certified ding-dong battle.
Runover Feeling was a nose to the good at the 1:24.2 three-quarters (a spiffy :27.2 third quarter), a nose to the good turning for home and a half-length to the good at the wire, which he found in 1:53.1.
Artist Cafe (Pat Lachance), Southwind Tabor (Greg Grismore) and Eckstrom (Stephane Bouchard) completed the cashers.
For Runover Feeling, a seven-year-old Western Hanover gelding owned by Bob DiNozzi, he returned $12 (third choice) for his sixth win in 43 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $36, with the triple returning $387.50.
(Yonkers Raceway)