A pocketed Red Hot Herbie (Tim Tetrick, $7.50) proved to be the best Sunday afternoon (March 12), as he got up to win Yonkers Raceway’s $50,000 Open Trot.
At the outset, Red Hot Herbie (Post 3) found himself in behind Springbank San N (driven by Jordan Stratton), who led through early intervals of :28.2 and :58.3. Ladys Dude (George Brennan), as the 17-10 favourite, then moved from third.
Ladys Dude engaged ‘Sam’ in and out of a 1:27.1 three-quarters, with B Yoyo (Joe Bongiorno) gapped a bit from second-over. Springbank Sam N had the lead off the final turn for the third consecutive start, and he failed to win for the third consecutive start.
He did, however, send ‘Herbie’ into the passing lane, where he whipped a rallying In Secret (Matt Kakaley) by a neck in 1:56.3. Ladys Dude held third, with a ground-saving Hemi Seelster (Jason Bartlett) and B Yoyo settling for the remainder. Springbank Sam N faded to seventh among the octet.
The feature went as the opener of an all-trot, 11-race card, seven of which carried the ‘French’ theme (overflow fields and the mile-and-one-quarter distance).
For second choice Red Hot Herbie – a seven-year-old Here Comes Herbie gelding co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard, Bruce Soulsby and Edward Reppucci – it was his fourth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $110.50, with the triple returning $697.
Since no one took down Sunday afternoon’s Pick 5, Monday night’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $1,025.27 (50-cent base wager, races 7 through 11).
Sunday’s installment of the ‘New York, New York Double’ resulted in a combination of 8-Two Term Max (Aqueduct’s third race) and 10-Defi Normand (Yonkers’ sixth race), which paid $82 for each correct $1 wager. Total pool was $5,736.
A reminder there is also racing next Sunday (March 19), with first post at 12:30 p.m.
(Yonkers Raceway)