Ladys Dude (George Brennan, $7.30) and All Bets Off (Brennan again, $4.80) shared the Saturday night spotlight, winning Yonkers Raceway’s pair of $55,000 co-featured Open Handicaps.
After a couple of no-shot eight-holes, Ladys Dude found this post position No. 5 assignment more than acceptable in the week’s featured trot.
Caught three-deep early, Ladys Dude made the lead just before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile. He then rated a :56.4 intermission before 17-10 favourite Meladys Monet (Brett Miller), who had left for a seat, moved from fourth.
However, he couldn’t get close and with a pocketed Not Afraid (Dan Dube) gapping, Ladys Dude had a lonely lead in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters.
The advantage was a couple of lengths entering the lane and an unpressured length-and-a-quarter at the wire, finding it in 1:54.3...fastest local mile of the season.
Aggressive (Jason Bartlett) saved ground for second, with Not Afraid third. Buen Camino offered good late interest for fourth, with Luck O The Irish (Jordan Stratton) getting the final envelope and ‘Melady’ fading to seventh.
For Ladys Dude, a six-year-old Victory Sam gelding co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Johnny Yoder and Weaver Bruscemi, the win was his fourth in nine seasonal starts (career earnings now over a half-million dollars). The exacta paid $63, with the triple returning $267.
The week’s adult-table pace had three unoccupied seats, as Levy Series winner Keystone Velocity and consolation winner Clear Vision were among the defections.
The quintet was in need of a leader, and -- from post No. 3 -- favoured All Bets Off picked up that gauntlet. Though not the Free-For-Aller he used to be, All Bets Off was more than good enough when left (:27.4, :56.3, 1:24.3, 1:52.1) to his own devices.
After taking a two and a half-length lead into the lane, he held off a from-last Roland N Rock (Stratton) by three-quarters of a length. Santa Fe Beachboy (Bartlett), Lucan Hanover (Tyler Buter) and a season-debuting Luck Be Withyou (Brian Sears) rounded out the order/payees.
For All Bets Off, a six-year-old son of Bettors Delight trained by Burke for co-owners, Frank Baldachino, Panhellenic Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, the win was his first in five ’17 tries. The exacta paid $14.40, with triple and superfecta wagering cancelled.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)