Galleons Assassin (Jeff Gregory) went up and over Stunt Man Hall (Pat Lachance) down the backside Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's featured $40,000 Open Handicap Trot
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Leaving from post position No. 5, "Galleon"--as the 9-5 favourite--watched early while Stunt Man Hall left around pole-sitter Spur Ann E (Billy Dobson) before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile. After a 58-second intermission, Galleons Assassin moved from fourth.
He went by the longshot leader before the 1:27.2 three-quarters. Rushmore Hanover (Brent Holland) gapped a bit from second-over, with Batalj Launcher (Jason Bartlett) behind that one. Galleons Assassin had a length-and-a-half lead into the lane before defeating Batalj Launcher by a half-length in 1:56.2, a season's-best for the winner and the fastest local trotting mile of 2009.
Rushmore Hanover, Long Story Short (Stephane Bouchard) and Light Headed (Sam Caruso Jr.) completed the cashers.
For Galleons Assassin, a seven-year-old Earl gelding trained by Darren Cassar for owner Barry Charles, he returned $5.70 for his fourth win in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta paid $28, with the triple returning $56.50.
(Yonkers Raceway)