Canadian-owned and bred Farmers Tuition (Cat Manzi), the inside assignee, sat fourth around the Friday night oval, then closed ranks late to win Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $32,500 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace
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Breakheart Pass (Dan Dube), as the 2-1 choice, crossed over from her outside venue, putting up fractions of :27.2, :56.2, and 1:25. Twin B Tiara (Eric Goodell) sat a tight pocket, with B Intensified (George Brennan) third in a strung-out octet.
However, the fractions began to take their toll on the leader, who came back to her pursuers nearing the 1:53.4 mile marker. Farmers Tuition had the most momentum, going on to win by a length-and-a-half in the mile-and-one-sixteenth time of 2:00.4. Twin B Tiara was second, with Breakheart Pass, B Intensified and Park Avenue (Tyler Buter) grabbing the remainder.
Telecaminique N (Brent Holland), Hannah Isabel and a very-rough-behind the gate Island Terror (Brad Kramer) rounded out the order.
Farmers Tuition, a five-year-old daughter of Apaches Fame trained by Joe Anderson for co-owners Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, Que. and breeder Debbie Bird of Harwood, Ont., returned $13 (fourth choice) for her second win in three seasonal starts. The exacta paid $46, with the triple returning $309.
Friday night's co-featured $32,500 Open Handicap Trot saw 2-1 favourite Pembroke Prayer (Brennan) survive a long, first-over battle with T Js Mr Lavec (Jason Bartlett), then get the wire just ahead of a fast-closing Baby Boy Grin (Larry Stalbaum).
After T Js Mr Lavec made the lead from behind his ordered eight-ball (:27.1 quarter-mile, :56.2 intermission), Pembroke Prayer--leaving from post position No. 4--began his second move, vacating third.
He then challenged the leader past both the 1:25.2 three-quarters and 1:55 mile, eventually wearing him down. Baby Boy Grin rolled out but Pembroke Prayer found the wire a half-length before him, getting the added distance in 2:02.3. T Js Mr Lavec, Rompaway Beau (Manzi) and Shoeless White Sox (Jeff Gregory) came away with the small change.
For Pembroke Prayer, a seven-year-old Like a Prayer gelding co-owned by (trainer) Mark Ford and William Varney, he returned $6.70 for his first win in five '11 tries. The exacta paid $38.40, with the triple returning $155.50.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)