While he officially reacclimated to North American harness racing on Saturday morning at The Meadowlands, Tim Tetrick's first pari-mutuel drive post-2015 World Driving Championship came Monday night and he wasted no time in finding the winner's circle.
Yonkers Raceway’s 2015 stakes season began Monday night, with a pair of divisions in the Petticoat Pacing Series. The series, for three- and four-year-old ladies who are/were non-winners of four races and/or $40,000 through last Dec. 1, offered two $12,500 events.
Witch Dali (Tim Tetrick) became the first local 1-20 ($2.10) proposition of the season, handily winning the first division. She negated her outside post position right away, whipping around her six rivals and going the distance (:28, :57.2, 1:25.4, 1:54.1). The final margin was a wrapped-up length-and-a-half over Cruisinwithmybaby (Tyler Buter), with Always Sunday(George Brennan) third.
“She was perfectly-gaited and handled the track very well,” Tetrick said, without a hint of an Australian accent.
For Witch Dali, a four-year-daughter of Dali co-owned (as Alagna Racing) by (trainer) Tony Alagna and Brad Grant, it was her third win (first two were series finals of Niagara and Worldly Beauty) in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $7.40, with the triple returning $17.40.
Pole-sitting Hay Stacked (Eric Carlson, $7.50) slipped out in the final turn, picking off 7-5 favourite Cheyenne Robin (Dan Dube) and winning the second Petticoat division in 1:54.4. The margin was a neck, with pace-setting (:28.1, :57.3; 1:26.3) Royal Mama (Matt Kakaley) third
For third choice Hay Stacked, a four-year-old daughter of Art Major co-owned by (trainer) Gilberto Garcia-Herrera and Stephen & Brian Gordon, it was her first win in four ’15 tries. The exacta paid $17.20, with the triple returning $34.80.
"She’s a small (mare), but she tries real hard and she’s rounding into form at the right time," Carlson said.
Series action continues Tuesday afternoon, with five, $12,500 divisions in the opening round of the Sagamore Hill for three- and four-year-old male pacers.
(with files from Yonkers)