The Saints may no longer be the Aint's, but Dave Aint Here (Jim Pantaleano) continues to carry the torch for the grammatically incorrect
.
"Dave," shown no love after last week's Open Handicap Pace win, defended his Yonkers Raceway title Saturday night in a last-to-first effort.
"Who dat say dey gonna beat Dave Ain't Here?"
Leaving inside his six rivals (outside assignee Michaels Marvel was a judges' defection), "Dave" was content to watch the world go by early on.
Carnivore (Jason Bartlett)--the 3-2 choice making his first start for new connections--had to wait his turn before taking over from Noble Falcon (Jordan Stratton).
Carnivore made the lead after a :27.1 opening quarter-mile, then rated a 57-second intermission. Next Adventure (Greg Grismore) moved from fourth, speeding up the tempo toward a 1:25.4 three-quarters.
The favourite, in his first local try and first purse start since Halloween, was done in and out of the final turn. Next Adventure grabbed the lead, but "Dave" was about to grab him.
Dave Aint Here, going wide from third-over, rolled on by. He defeated Next Adventure by 2-3/4 expanding lengths in 1:55. Southwind Tabor (Ryan Anderson), Dragon King (Jeff Gregory) and Keystone Rideau (Stephane Bouchard) completed the cashers.
For Dave Aint Here, a nine-year-old Blissfull Hall gelding owned and trained by Ettore Annunziata, he paid $42.80 (fifth choice) for his third win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $207, with the triple returning $859.
The driver/trainer combo won two of three weekend features, having prevailed with Little Mermaid N in Friday night's Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
(Yonkers Raceway)