A parked-with-cover Delightful Diva (George Brennan) got up in time Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $43,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace
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Assigned outside her seven rivals, she sat behind Monochromatic (Jim Pantaleano) as that one went looking for a seat that was not there. Meanwhile, Cannae Cammie (Jason Bartlett) was hard-used to get around 9-5 choice Symphony In Motion (Dan Dube) just after a :27-second opening quarter mile.
The leader found a :55.4 half, then opened up a bit in and out of the 1:23.4 three-quarters. She came back to her foes early stretch, with four of the ladies getting together at the 1:52.3 mile marker.
When the dust settled, a wide Delightful Diva was a nostril better than Symphony in Motion, pacing the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.4. Cannae Cammie, a very game Monochromatic--first four finishers separated by just a neck--and Mememe (Eric Goodell) completed the cashers.
For Delightful Diva, a six-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight trained by Lou Pena for KDM Stables, she returned $7.20 (second choice) for her fifth win (second consecutive) in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $30.40, with the triple returning $96.
Friday night's co-featured $43,000 Open Handicap Trot was won by yet another eight-ball assignee in Neighsay Hanover (Jeff Gregory).
In play early, "Neighsay" grabbed the lead from Stand Guard (Pat Lachance) after a :27.4 opening quarter. Speed Bomb (Goodell)--as the slight 17-10 choice--then took his turn, moving from third to take over at the :56.4 half.
He continued to show the way at the 1:26 three-quarters, getting a visit from Wuthering Hanover (Jordan Stratton) with Whata Hustler (Bartlett) behind that one.
Speed Bomb owned a short lead entering the lane, but was about to cave before the 1:55.4 mile. Up the cones went Neighsay Hanover, who held off a late surge by KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) to prevail by a head in an added-distance 2:03.1. Whata Hustler, Armbro Casino (Shaun Vallee) and Whata Winner (Jim Doherty) rounded out the payees.
For Neighsay Hanover, a five-year-old son of Muscles Yankee co-owned by (trainer) Ray Schnittker, Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo and Leif Alber, he returned $5.40 (second choice, though also at 17-10) for his fourth win in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta paid $61.50, the triple returned $388.50 and the superfecta paid $3,494.
(Yonkers Raceway)