Shutter Boy (Yannick Gingras) and Monochromatic (Jim Pantaleano) garnered the glory Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's pair of $40,000 Open Handicaps
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Shutter Boy was assigned the eight-hole after last week's track-record performance. This night, he two-moved up and over American Lane (Cat Manzi) before ending any and all suspense.
The 3-4 favourite took over in early stretch, then widened to three lengths at the wire in 1:56.4...not quite the 1:54.3 effort of a week a ago, but more than good enough here.
Bet To Win (Dan Dube) was the best of the rest, with Victors Vicky (Jordan Stratton), Napoleon (Jason Bartlett) and Woody Woodrow (Pantaleano) completing the cashers.
For Shutter Boy, a four-year-old Yankee Glide gelding trained by John McDermott for owner Scott Brannon, he paid $3.50 for his ninth win in 31 '09 tries. The exacta paid $22.40, with the triple returning $86.50.
While the chalk players were happy with the weekly trotting feature, the longshot lookers have their fun in the weekly distaff derby.
Monochromatic, at 32-1 from post position No. 2, was parked two turns and on one line early. However, after grabbing the lead from odds-on Cruzin Foralivin N (Gingras), the outsider rolled on.
Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance) took refuge in a vacant pocket after the favourite backed up, but the leader was more than up the challenge.
Monochromatic defeated "Hannah" by a length-and-a-three-quarters in 1:54.2, with Sentbytheangels (Ryan Anderson), Chris Cross (Cat Manzi) and Lightning Treasure (Stephane Bouchard) grabbing the small change.
For Monochromatic, a four-year-old daughter of Dream Away owned by Harness The Power and trained by Kevin Lare, she returned $67 (seventh choice) for her third win 18 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $258.50, with the triple returning $1,913.
Yonkers Raceway presents one of its premier racing program Saturday night, featuring both the $542,060 Messenger Stakes--third jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown--and its companion distaff event for three-year-old pacers, the $364,430 Lady Maud.
Millionaire If I Can Dream leads the 54th Messenger, looking to add this race to wins in the Breeders Crown and Yonkers' own Art Rooney Pace.
The field for the Messenger Stakes (ninth race), with declared drivers and morning-line odds is listed below:
1. Fireintheshark (Jason Bartlett, 10-1)
2. Hypnotic Blue Chip (John Campbell, 3-1)
3. If I Can Dream (Tim Tetrick, 3-5)
4. Clear Vision (Dave Miller, 6-1)
5. Hail Storm (Jordan Stratton, 20-1)
6. Straight Shooting (Yannick Gingras, 3-5, coupled with If I Can Dream)
7. Doubleshotascotch (Jim Morrill Jr., 15-1)
Yellow Diamond, sharing the same owner and trainer as If I Can Dream, is the early favourite for Saturday night's $364,430 final of the Lady Maud Pace (seventh race) for three-year-old fillies. Jim Morrill, Jr. drives the daughter of Western Terror, who, like her stablemate, has earned more than $1 million this season.
The field for the $364,430 Lady Maud Pace, with declared drivers and morning-line odds is listed below:
1. Perfectionist (Dan Dube, 12-1)
2. Up Front Kellie Jo (George Brennan, 8-1)
3. Shanghai Lil (Mike Lachance, 4-1)
4. Yellow Diamond (Morrill Jr., 4-5)
5. Kiss Me Kate (Campbell, 5-1)
6. Pumptuous (Miller, 20-1)
7. Personal Ad (Tetrick, 30-1)
8. Jkmusicofthenite (Gingras, 10-1)
There is also a cap giveaway while supplies last. The caps, featuring both the Raceway and Empire City logos, are to be distributed throughout the racing areas beginning just after 6 p.m.
(Yonkers Raceway)