New Heaven and Caviart Luca were the come-from-behind stars Saturday night, as they each captured Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $44,000 Open Handicaps.
New Heaven, from post position No. 6 for driver Brent Holland, disposed of the week’s marquee trot, snapping a two-move Eye Ofa Tiger A (Jason Bartlett) by a nose in 1:55.1…matching his season’s-best. Perlucky (Brennan) finished third, with Fearless Man (Austin Siegelman) and Swansea (Mark MacDonald) settling for the remainder.
Fearless Man, a 20-1 proposition, stuffed 8-5 favourite Smalltownthrowdown (Dab Dube) in behind and led though through intervals of :27.4, 57.4 and 1:26.1 before tiring. The quintet of payees was separated by just a length-and-three-quarters.
For fourth choice New Heaven, a five-year-old Yankee Glide gelding owned by Allister Stable and trained by Eric Abbatiello, it was his fifth win in a dozen seasonal starts. He paid $14.40 to win.
Caviart Luca, a week after setting cheapy fractions and tiring, used a different tact for driver George Brennan in the weekly’s adult-table pace. From post No. 4, he chased Somewhere in L A (Bartlett) as that one took care of 4-5 fave Mach N Cheese (Jim Marohn, Jr.).
The people’s preference retook from Ideal Jimmy (Holland), then put up subsections of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23.2. Caviart Luca whipped the number directly behind him, Pacing Major N (Jordan Stratton) by a neck in 1:52. Somewhere in L A, Major Crocker A (Dube) and Ideal Jimmy came away with the minors.
For fifth choice Caviart Luca, an eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, it was his fourth win in eight ’19 tries. He paid $19.40 to win.
(Yonkers)