Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday night, May 11 soiree saw a pair of odds-on entities take advantage of generous getaways in the $44,000 co-features, plus a visit from the Reynolds Memorial crowd.
The weekly adult-table pace had Levy Series standout Ideal Jimmy drill his rivals. From post position three (inside one notch after the scheduled pole-sitter came up ill), he hung Pacing Major N, then toyed with them through fractions of :26.4, :54.4 and 1:23. He won in 1:51.1 by four-and-three-quarter lengths.
Major Crocker A, the new polester, held off a stubborn Pacing Major N for second, with Somewhere In L A and JJ Flynn closing for the minors.
For Ideal Jimmy, a six-year-old homebred Western Ideal gelding owned by D R Van Witzenburg and trained by Erv Miller, it was his seventh win in 16 seasonal starts. Brent Holland drove the $3.60 winner. The exacta paid $8.30, the triple (three wagering choices in order) returned $18.40 and the superfecta paid $91.50.
The week’s marquee trot had a methodical Will Take Charge turn in the fastest local mile (1:54) of the season.
From post three, he eschewed an early move to the lead, then tracked down In Secret after that one posted subsections of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:25.
Will Take Charge did just that early in the lane, drawing out to win by a couple of lengths. A loosely-covered Top Flight Angel did grab second, with In Secret, Swansea and Sumatra picking off the remainder.
For Will Take Charge, a six-year-old Kadabra gelding co-owned by trainer Jeff Gillis and Mac Nichol, it was his first win in five ’19 tries. Austin Siegelman drove the $3.10 winner. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $10.40, the triple returned $40.60 and the superfecta paid $190.
Also Saturday night, the $92,100 W.N. Reynolds Pace offered two divisions each for the three-year-old girls and boys.
A gingerly-handled Queen Of The Pride was advertised in her $22,050 event, winning by four-and-a-half lengths in 1:54. The daughter of McArdle, owned by Frank Chick and trained by Kevin Lare, is now 4-for-5 this season. Jordan Stratton steered the $2.30 winner.
As Time Goes By went by tiring odds-on fave Art Lecture in a life-best 1:54.3, winning her $21,550 event. The Captaintreacherous miss is trained Julie Miller for co-owners Willow Oak Ranch and Andy Miller Stable. Stratton also drove the $13.00 winner.
The colt and gelding groupings, each worth $24,250, were won by:
Wager On Me (by Bettors Delight); co-owners George and Tina Dennis Racing, North State Street Stable / trainer Joe Columbo / driver Jason Bartlett; 1:54.2/$6.90;
American Admiral (by American Ideal); co-owners William and James Fleming / trainer Andrew Harris / driver Jim Marohn Jr.; 1:54.3/$11.20.
Seventy-cents-on-the-dollar faves in each colts/gelding event—World on Edge (Brennan) and Mo Mas Amor (Bartlett)—each threw in steps and were last and did not finish, respectively.
(with files from Yonkers Raceway,