Favoured Swansea and Ostro Hanover both lasted on the lead Saturday night (Feb. 15), winning Yonkers Raceway’s pair of $40,000 Open Handicaps.
Swansea, without a sub-par performance in forever, won the post 6-thru-8 draw in the week’s marquee trot. He didn’t squander it, working around Nows The Moment and leading through early intervals of :28 and :58.2. It was Meladys Monet, who had found a four-hole seat, then moving again.
Meladys Monet engaged Swansea toward a 1:26.1 three-quarters, but in all fairness did not get that close at first. Hill Of A Horse was lurking wide from second-over when he misbehaved. Meanwhile, Swansea opened a pair of lengths in and out of the turn, and would need it.
Swansea was tested late by a resurgent Meladys Monet before holding sway by a head in 1:54.4. Arabellas Cadet closed for third, with Barry Black and Lean Hanover settling for the minors.
For Swansea, a five-year-old Swan for All gelding co-owned (as Triple D Stables) by (trainer) Scott DiDomenico and Dana Parham, it was his third win in five seasonal starts (career 23-for-50). Austin Siegelman steered the $3.70 winner. The exacta paid $17, with the triple (three wagering favorites in order) returned $57.50.
Ostro Hanover disposed of his rivals in the weekly adult-table pace. From post 5, he vaulted over Tookadiveoffdipper and finished what he started, leading through splits of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:24 in progress to a season’s-best 1:51.4 win.
Jacks Legend N saved to the lane, then closed well for second. Ostro Hanover, who owned a length-and-three-quarter lead into the lane, prevailed by a diminishing half-length.
Tookadiveoffdipper, wide-down-the-backside Trump Nation and a returning-to-town Harambe Deo came away with the small envelopes, while 17-10 choice Italian Delight N came first-up and faded to sixth.
For third choice Ostro Hanover, a five-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding co-owned by Go Fast, B&I and VIP Internet Stables & Kapildeo Singh and trained by Rene Allard, it was his second win in three ’20 tries. Dan Dube drove the $7.50 winner. The exacta paid $21.80, with the triple returned $111.50 and the superfecta paid $433.
(Yonkers Raceway)