With three-peating Krispy Apple not in attendance Friday night, it took two lasses to fill her horseshoes.
Alhambra (Brian Sears, $3.30) caught Its A Miracle (Eric Carlson, $2.90) at the wire, dead-heating in Yonkers Raceway’s $42,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Its A Miracle, leaving from post position No. 5, wound up pocketed to Virgin Mary (Jordan Stratton) through fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:25.4. Meanwhile, pole-assigned Alhambra was tardy both leaving the gate, then catching her ride in the presence of Magic Starlight (George Brennan). She did, however, close ranks in time to move widest and fastest, drawing even with a passing-lane Its A Miracle in 1:53.4, a life-best effort for Alhambra. Virgin Mary, who owned a length lead into the lane, faded to third, beaten a length and three-quarters. Magic Starlight and Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat Lachance) completed cashers in a compact grouping, where the eight ladies finished the course separated by less than four lengths
Sharing the salutations were second choice Alhambra, a five-year-old daughter of Art Major owned by Joshua Schwartz and trained by William Adamczyk, now five-for-18 this season.
For 17-10 fave Its A Miracle, a five-year-old Always A Virgin miss trained by Jose Godinez for co-owners Blindswitch Racing, Santo Farina, David Sebolsky and Stanley Yoskowitz, it was her fifth win in 20 ’15 tries.
The exactas paid $17.60 (Alhambra first) and $13.40 (Its A Miracle first), with the triples returning $63 (Alhambra first) and $36.80 (“Miracle” first).
The Raceway’s live season continues Saturday night (post time 7:10 p.m., $300,000 final of Art Rooney Pace and $117,724 Lismore). After that, it’s Monday (7:10 p.m.) and a French-centric Tuesday (1 p.m.) before hiatus.
(Yonkers Raceway)