Yonkers Raceway returned from hiatus Friday night (June 8), with Mach It A Par (Jason Bartlett, $10.60) winning the featured $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Away fifth from post position No. 6, Mach It A Par watched as Meadows returnee Medusa (Brian Sears) led the early floor show through intervals of :27 and :56.1.
Freakonomics (Eric Goodell) took out of fourth, though not advancing all that much in and out of a 1:24 three-quarters. Mach It A Par then set sail around that one, getting first ‘run’ on her rear-end rivals. Meanwhile, Medusa owned a length and a half lead off the final turn before the interlopers arrived.
Mach It A Par swallowed up the pacesetter, drawing out to win by a length and a half in a season’s-best 1:52.3. A from-last Newborn Sassy (Jordan Stratton) grabbed second as the 6-5 fave, with 33-1 Delightful Dragon (Brent Holland) also offering late foot for the bottom of the ticket.
A tiring Medusa and Baryna A (Joe Bongiorno) settled for the minors.
For third choice Mach It A Par, an eight-year-old daughter of Mach Three co-owned by D’Elegance Stable IX, Carmen Iannacone, T L P & Gandolfo Stables and trained by Rich Banca, the win was her fifth in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $32.60, the triple returned $367.50 and the superfecta paid $2,686.
A reminder that the Raceway is the official ‘non-Belmont Park Belmont Stakes’ place to watch the festivities, with windows opening Saturday (June 9) in advance of Belmont’s 11:35 a.m. opener.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)