Rank outsider Tight Lines (Jeff Gregory, $62.50) was the ground-saving star Sunday morning (December 3), as he won Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Open Handicap Trot.
With just a seven-horse field, the weekly trotting feature went as the late-morning opener, before the seven ‘French’ trots.
In play from Post 5, Tight Lines actually surrendered an early pocket to lone lass Charmed Life (driven by Yannick Gingras), as both sat behind just-over-even-money favourite Meladys Monet (Jason Bartlett).
Meanwhile, Rubber Duck (Joe Bongiorno) found himself in 'no man’s land' and rushed up to prompt early intervals of :27.3 and :56.4.
Heading toward the 1:25.4 three-quarters, Rubber Duck was retreating. Meladys Monet, meanwhile, owned a one-length lead into the lane before Charmed Life pulled the pocket. The lady went past ‘Melady,’ but a cone-skimming Tight Lines went past both of ‘em.
Tight Lines, victorious at Yonkers Raceway on December 3, 2017 (Photo courtesy Chris Brokate)
Tight Lines defeated Charmed Life by a half-length in 1:55.1. Meladys Monet faded to third. The minors went to DWs NY Yank (Jordan Stratton) and Muscles On Fire (Brent Holland).
For Tight Lines -- a four-year-old Yankee Glide gelding co-owned by his trainer/driver, Jesmeral Stable and William Richardson -- it was his 10th win from 24 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $164.50 and the triple returned $530.
The sagacious handicappers that unearthed Tight Lines and Taco Tuesday (Dan Dube, $41.80) in the $26,000, second-race trot took home a season-high $1,279 daily double (last Sunday’s early double paid $1,162).
The ‘New York, New York Double’ saw a winning combination of 4-Dream Pauline (Aqueduct’s third race) and 3-Gruden (Yonkers’ fifth race) returned $13.30 for every correct $1 wager. The total pool was $4,927.
Sunday matinees, along with the ‘New York, New York Double,’ will conclude on December 17 (post time TBA). It will be the final program of Yonkers' season.
(Yonkers Raceway)