Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps for trotters and female pacers were won by Affirmed Action ($19.80) and Ontario-owned and bred Warrawee Koine ($12), both driven by Jason Barlett
In play early from post position No. 6, Affirmed Action landed in a three-hole behind Fuel Cell (Brian Sears) and Mymomsablizzard (Larry Stalbaum). Meanwhile, Brandos Muscle Man (George Brennan), last week's winner and this week's eight-hole assignee, settled in fourth.
After early weigh stations of :27.4 and :57-seconds flat, 'Brando,' as the 6-5 favourite, was out and moving again. He towed Super Manning (Dan Dube) along toward the 1:26.1 three-quarters. It was Fuel Cell hanging on to a short lead in and out the final turn, but company was coming.
Not only did 'Brando' continue those advances, but Super Manning was wide off that one. Then, there was Affirmed Action, skimming the cones. The short route was the best route, with Affirmed Action going on to win by a length and a half in 1:56. Second went to Brandos Muscle Man, with Super Manning, Fuel Cell and Celebrity Bluechip (Matt Kakaley) grabbing the small change.
For fourth choice Affirmed Action, a seven-year-old homebred son of Conway Hall owned and trained by John Grasso, it was his first win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $79, with the triple returning $491.50.
The weekly femme feature saw Warrawee Koine go from first out to first home. Assigned post No. 6, she left to the lead around a season-debuting Billmar Scooter (Eric Goodell) before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile.
Moonlit Dragon (Sears), the 9-5 fave, eschewed her ealy three-hole to take over not long after that. After a :56.4 imtermission, it was last week's victress, Hot List (Kalaley), turning up the heat. Getting away fifth from her ordered eight-hole, she was back at it down the backside.
However, it was just token pressure against Moonlit Dragon by the 1:25 three-quarters, with the leader owning a length and a half advantage entering the lane. Warrawee Koine, though, had the last say. She ducked in and edged away late, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1. Hot List saved the bottom of the ticket, with Dont Point At (Jeff Gregory) and Chief Karen (Stalbaum) settling for the minor awards.
For Warrawee Koine, a seven-year-old daughter of Astreos trained by Tony O'Sullivan for owner Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood, Ont., it was her third win (as the fourth choice) in a half-dozen '13 tries. The exacta paid $31, the triple returned $188 and the superfecta paid $574.
(Yonkers Raceway)