“Hemi Seelster has fled the scene,” so said Yonkers Raceway track announcer John Hernan, who did not lie. ‘Hemi’ (Brent Holland, $9.90) made quick work of 11 rivals Sunday afternoon (May 28) while winning Yonkers’ mile-and-a-quarter $68,000 Open Trot.
Away alertly from Post 3, Hemi Seelster stuffed Red Hot Herbie (driven by Dan Dube) in behind coming toward a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. The remaining eight furlongs (:58, 1:27.2, 1:56.1, 2:24.3) were angst-free, with a final win margin of five and three-quarter lengths.
Red Hot Herbie was second, with Money Maven (Eric Goodell) a three-hole third. Second-tier starters Wing Flash (Tyler Buter) and Homicide Hunter (Anthony Napolitano) rounded out the payees, while 5-2 favourite Tag Up And Go (Joe Bongiorno) was a never-in-it ninth and second choice Wings Of Royalty (Brian Sears) finished tenth.
Hemi Seelster, pictured victorious at Yonkers Raceway on Sunday, May 28, 2017 (Photo courtesy Gabriela Trmal)
For third choice Hemi Seelster – a five-year-old Holiday Road gelding co-owned by Howard Taylor and Abe Basen and trained by Rich Banca – it was his fourth win in 13 seasonal starts (now over a half-million dollars for his career). The exacta paid $69, with the triple returning $616.
For Holland, it was career driving win No. 4,993.
The weekly featured trot was the first of four ‘French’ races during the dozen-race, all-trot card.
Sunday’s revival of the ‘New York, New York Double’ saw a winning combination of 9-(Bustin It, Belmont’s 3rd race) and 4-(Andy Ray, Yonkers’ 7th race) paid $13.90 for every correct dollar ticket (total pool $7,361).
Live racing (and evening simulcasting) will return Friday, June 16 (post time 7:10 p.m.). Afternoon simulcasting remains available, including the June 10th Belmont Stakes.
(Yonkers Raceway)