Pocketed millionaire Forensic Z Tam (Pat Lachance) ducked inside and ducked into the winner's circle Saturday night, annexing Yonkers Raceway's $38,000 Open Handicap Pace
.
Leaving from post position No. 4, the 7-5 favourite made the lead around pole-sitting Southwind Tabor (Stephane Bouchard) well before a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. Southwind Tabor then reclaimed the advantage, rating a :57.3 intermission.
Second choice Southern Allie (Yannick Gingras)--ogling a third consecutive victory--offered a serious, first-up challenge toward the 1:25.2 (:27.4) three-quarters.
That attempt was rebuffed, with Southwind Tabor taking a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane. However, that one was no match for Forensic Z Tam, who found the short way home, edging away by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:53.1. J As Outlaw (George Brennan) and Arts Ragin Jet (Jim Pantaleano) completed the cashers.
For Forensic Z Tam, a six-year-old Bettors Delight gelding trained by Lachance for Z Tam Stables, he returned $4.80 for his fourth win in 37 seasonal starts (career earnings nearing $1.2 million). The exacta paid $15.20, with the triple returning $94
It was a bittersweet victory in the $19,500, second-race pace for the veteran Dragon King (Gingras, $3.90).
The five-year-old son of Dragon Again was a mainstay in the barn of co-owner-trainer Roy William Sr., who passed away earlier this week at age 73. Dragon King, a career winner of more than $340,000--he grabbed the final payday in the 2008 Art Rooney Pace here--is now trained by Ashley Knigge, who had assisted Williams.
Members of the Williams' family, including Roy Sr.'s widow, Fawn, and Roy Jr.--who co-owns the horse--were in the winner's circle after Dragon King's 1:54.1 effort.
(Yonkers Raceway)