Perfectionist (Dan Dube) whipped her elders for a second consecutive 7-1 Friday night victory, winning Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $36,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace
.
Starting outside her seven rivals, Perfectionist was hung up four-wide leaving. Mach You And Me (Jason Bartlett)--the 7-10 people's preference--won the early battle for the baton.
Mach You And Me led through opening intervals of :28.1 and :57.2. Perfectionist, obviously displeased with the first act, was out of her seat before the intermission.
She challenged the leader in and out of the 1:25.1 three-quarters, then was ready for her close-up.
Perfectionist widened from a length-and-half lead turning for home to 3-1/4 lengths at the wire, which she found in 1:54.3.
Mach You And Me was a tiring second, with Lightning Treasure (Pat Lachance) closing to grab the bottom of the ticket. Saymynamesaymyname (George Brennan) and Western Graduate (Eric Abbatiello) earned some last-minute holiday cash.
For Perfectionist, a Brittany Farms homebred three-year-old daughter of Western Ideal trained by Jimmy Takter, she returned $16 (second choice) for her third win in 23 '09 tries. The exacta paid $50, with the triple returning $546.
The weekly, co-featured $36,000 marquee trot saw the mare Lavec Dream (Brennan) close down the center, outkicking pace-setter Batalj Launcher (Bartlett) and pocket-sitter Self Professed (Yannick Gingras).
Batalj Launcher had worked around Self Professed--the 17-10 choice--leading through fractions of :28.4, :59.1 and 1:28.4. Meanwhile, Lavec Dream--leaving from post position No. 5--hitched a ride behind Libra Vita (Ryan Anderson). Batalj Launcher owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. Self Professed ducked inside, but Enjoy Lavec was the problem.
The lass went on by, beating Self Professed by three-quarters of a length in 1:59. Batalj Launcher, C R Dream Catcher (Jim Marshall III) and Libra Vita completed the cashers.
For Lavec Dream, a seven-year-old Enjoy Lavec miss owned and trained by Peter Kleinhans, she returned $9.20 (second choice) for her third win in 26 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $32.20, with the triple returning $116.50.
Yonkers' final live '09 program is scheduled for this Tuesday night, December 22, with the first 2010 program scheduled for Friday, January 8.
The regular five-night-per-week schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday and Saturday) resumes the week of Monday, January 11, 2010. First post for all racing programs is 7:10 p.m. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule.
Please note the NYRA Christmas break runs through Christmas Day.
(Yonkers Raceway)