Rockaround Sue (Jason Bartlett, $31), coming off a trio of non-descript efforts, bottomed out her foes Friday night in winning Yonkers Raceway’s $35,000 featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
In play from post position No. 3, “Sue” had to wait her turn as RD IOU (Tyler Buter) and Palm Patrol (Mark MacDonald) both left inside of her. Rockaround Sue worked around Palm Patrol, making the lead just after a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. All the while, eight-hole assignee Sayitall BB (George Brennan), as the 13-10 favourite, left into a five-hole.
It was a :56.4 intermission before “BB” moved again, and as good as she was in winning her seasonal debut a week ago, she was that ugly here. Sayitall BB never came close to the leader, who widened passing a 1:25 three-quarters.
Rockaround Sue opened to three and a half lengths in and out of the final turn, then held off a shaking-free RD IOU by a length in 1:53.2. Marathon Day (Eric Carslon), racing last-over, rallied from last to snap third, with Palm Patrol and Handsoffmycookie (Dan Dube) completing the cashers. Sayitall BB finished last, beaten nearly seven lengths.
For seventh choice Rockaround Sue, a six-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover co-owned by Bamond Racing and Silva Stables and trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr., it was her first board finish in four seasonal starts.
The exacta paid $174.50, with the triple returning $980.
Note that since no one took down Friday’s Pick 5, Saturday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $3,731.80 (50-cent base wager, races seven through 11).
(Yonkers Raceway)