Invading Summer Camp, driven by Jason Bartlett, went the distance Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $33,000 Open Handicap Pace
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Leaving from post position No. 4 as the 7-5 choice, Summer Camp worked around P H Jackpot (Cat Manzi), making the lead just after a :27.4 opening quarter-mile.
He then rated a :29-second next station (:56.4) half before Sea Venture (George Brennan) tried his luck moving from fourth. Summer Camp held that one at nose’s length in and out of a 1:24.3 three-quarters before taking a length-and-a-half lead into the lane.
The fave then finished it off, defeating a second-up Rock To Glory (Eric Goodell) by a half-length in 1:53.4. Here We Go Again (Jordan Stratton), P H Jackpot and Sea Venture completed the cashers, while two-time defending champ Tobago Cays (Jim Pantaleano) was an eight-hole non-factor here.
Summer Camp, a five-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding trained by Josh Green for co-owners Baron Racing and VIP Internet Stable, returned $4.80 for his third win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $18.20, with the triple returning $137.
"Josh said this horse was talented, but only wanted to go as much as he had to," Bartlett said. "They wanted to try him here before the [George Morton] Levy Series, and he was good tonight. I had to keep after him a bit, but he did the job."
(Yonkers Raceway)