Odds-on favourite The Real One (Pat Lachance, $3.70) did it handily Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $32,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Assigned post position No. 4, The Real One sat chilly as Texican N (Eric Carlson) took the early initiative. He worked around Cyclone Kiwi N (Jason Bartlett), then was able to get away some soft (:27.2, :57.1) subsections.
However, something was amiss with the leader down the backside and his closest pursuer knew it. Cyclone Kiwi N edged from the pocket right as Texican N jumped it off. However, once Cyclone Kiwi N made the lead, he was swooped by The Real One.
That one made a big bid from fifth, taking over and opening up in and out of the 1:25.1 three-quarters. The Real One opened to three and a quarter lengths entering the lane, then rolled. The final margin was an all-by-his-lonesome four and three-quarter lengths in 1:52.3. Fameous Western (Matt Kakaley) was a three-hole second, with Lucan Hanover (Brian Sears), Cyclone Kiwi N and Bigtown Hero (Dan Dube) settling for the remainder.
For The Real One, a five-year-old Mach Three gelding trained by his driver for owner Helene Filion, the win was his eighth in 31 seasonal tries (same resume as last season, but earning twice as much).
The exacta paid $33, the triple paid $272 and the superfecta paid $1,258.
Note that since no one took down Saturday night’s Pick 5, Monday gimmick begins with a carryover of $4,003.34 and a $10,000 guaranteed pool (50-cent base wager, races seven through 11, program pages available at yonkersraceway.com).
(Yonkers Raceway)