Lass NF Happenstance (Jack Parker Jr., $5.70) finished what she started Sunday morning (March 18) while winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Open Handicap Trot.
The field of a half-dozen went as the late-morning, flat-mile opener in advance of seven ‘French’ trots.
As is her custom, NF Happenstance left the gate. Tepidly favoured from the assigned Post 4, she paid a :27.2 price for the lead as she worked around Mostinterestingman (driven by Jason Bartlett). A rated :30.3 next interval (58-second intermission) worked for her when Sir John F (Anthony Napolitano) moved from third.
NF Happenstance maintained her lead in and out of a 1:26.2 three-quarters, and she took a length-and-three-quarter lead off the final turn. She then held off an inside-diving Mostinterestingman, and post a neck win over her rival in 1:55.3.
NF Happenstance (4), pictured victorious on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Yonkers Raceway (Photo courtesy Darragh Riordan)
In Secret (George Brennan) sat the pylons and showed up late for third. Always A Good Time (Dan Dube) and Sir John F rounded out the payees. The latter locked wheels in the lane with Money Maven (Jordan Stratton), who finished last.
For NF Happenstance – an eight-year-old daughter of SJs Caviar owned by James Moore III and trained by Carol Jamieson-Parker – it was her sixth win from nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $33.20 and the ‘triple’ returned $108.
Sunday’s return of the ‘New York, New York Double’ offered a winning combination of 1-Total Control (Aqueduct’s third race) and 2-High Glider (Yonkers’ seventh race) paid $11.70 for every correct $1 wager. Total pool was $6,358.
The next Sunday matinee will take place on May 20 (post time to be announced).
(Yonkers Raceway)