Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps -- for trotters and pacers -- were won by a season-debuting Brandos Muscle Man (George Brennan, $17.60) and Hot List (Matt Kakaley, $15.40).
Assigned outside his seven rivals for his first purse try in nearly two months, Brandos Muscle Man made the lead around Affirmed Action (Jason Bartlett) before a :28.3 opening quarter-mile. Affirmed Action then retook the lead as lone lass Sugar Queen Gabby (Mark MacDonald), out since the outset, kept advancing.
It was 'Gabby' finally going to the lead before a :57.4 intermission. 'Brando' took out of third going toward the 1:26.4 three-quarters, with Celebrity Bluechip (Kakaley) in pursuit. Brandos Muscle Man owned a half-length lead into the lane, while Celebrity Bluechip was sizing him up. The leader dug in and the chaser hung, with 'Brando' winning by a nose in 1:55.3.
Enrico AS (Jordan Stratton), Affirmed Action and Sugar Queen Gabby rounded out the payees. Looking Hanover (Brian Sears) offered less than nothing as the 17-10 choice, finishing last among the octet.
For Brandos Muscle Man, a five-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding owned and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, he won as the fifth wagering choice. The exacta paid $188.50, with the triple returning $1,506.
The distaff dance saw Hot List tuck in fourth from her outside eight-hole venue. She watched while 2-1 favourite Mystical Diva (Sears) pocketed Dont Point At (Jeff Gregory), with Warrawee Koine (Bartlett) sequestered third.
After early intervals of :27.2 and :57.1, Hot List was back at it, engaging the leader down the backside while Chief Karen (Larry Stalbaum) was gapping second-over. After a 1:25.2 three-quarters, Mystical Diva maintained a short lead in and out of the final turn, but was getting pummeled from all precincts.
Hot List continued her grind, getting the jump on a pylon-skimming Warrawee Koine and beating that one by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.3. Third went to Dont Point, who left the cones, with Mystical Diva and Frontierpan (Dan Dube) grabbing the remainder.
For Hot List, a five-year-old daughter of McArdle co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Joe DiScala Jr. and Cynthia Lynn Massari, it was her second win (as the fifth choice) in four '13 tries. The exacta paid $69.50, the triple returned $497.50 and the superfecta paid $1,338.
(Yonkers Raceway)