Jason Bartlett won six of Yonkers Raceway's 13 races Saturday night, including pole-sitting Sapphire City ($6.70) in the featured $46,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Pocketed to 3-2 choice Malak Uswaad N (Eric Goodell) through fractions of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:22.3, Sapphire City angled out in the lane. He was able to grind by a stubborn foe by a head in 1:50.4. Pan From Nantucket (Jordan Stratton) was third, with Great Vintage (Larry Stalbaum) and Fat Mans Alley (Brent Holland) completing the cashers.
For second choice Sapphire City, a five-year-old Metropolitan gelding trained by Paul Blumenfeld for co-owners Centaur Stable and Jordan Sklut, it was his fourth win in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $16, with the triple returning $68.
Saturday's card also featured three-year-old young ladies in a game of musical chairs -- nine to eliminate one -- for the $175,624 Hudson Filly Trot. Favourite Lady Broadway (Goodell, $5), the lone $15,000 supplemental entrant, left from post position No. 6 and won the $20,000 elim from the pocket in 1:55.3. Second went to Andie Sophia (Stalbaum), beaten three-quarters of a length, with Royal Assets (Ray Schnittker) a pace-setting third.
For Lady Broadway, a daughter of Broadway Hall trained by Chris Oakes for co-owners Susan Oakes, Hauser Brothers Racing and Conrad Zurich, it was her fifth win in 10 '13 tries (18-for-28 lifetime).
The (alphabetical) qualifiers for next Saturday's $155,624 final of the Hudson (open draw is Tuesday) are: Andie Sophia, Caneel Hall, Cha Cha Magic, Global Beauty, Lady Broadway, Royal Assets, Southwind Cocoa and Time To Kill. A recall-causing Miss Panthers (Holland) broke and was never a factor.
(Yonkers Raceway)