The Chancellor and driver Jason Bartlett needed every bit of a perfect second-over trip Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $52,000 Open
Handicap Trot.
Leaving from post position three, The Chancellor was away fifth as 2-1 choice Whata Winner (Jim Doherty), Cold Winner (Dan Dube), invading Lorenzo Dream (Cat Manzi) and Grain of Truth (Jeff Gregory) all left the gate. A three-wide Lorenzo Dream made the lead just after a :27.4 opening quarter-mile, then found a :56.2 half. Whata Winner moved from third, taking The Chancellor with him toward the 1:25.4 three-quarters.
Lorenzo Dream clung to a short lead early stretch, but he was about to get swallowed up before the 1:55.2 mile marker. The Chancellor, with the best trip, led the charge. He was a length-and-a-half better than Grain of Truth while getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 2:02.3. Whata Winner - photoed for second - KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) and Dontellmywife (George Brennan) completed the cashers.
For The Chancellor, a five-year-old Yankee Glide gelding trained by Julie Miller for the co-owning stables of Andy Miller and Arden Homestead, he returned $28.60 for his third win in nine seasonal starts.
Friday night's co-featured, $52,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace saw a down-the-road Delightful Diva turn in a track-record effort with driver George Brennan in tow.
Leaving from her assigned outside seven-hole, 3-2 favourite Delightful Diva diced and sliced her way through intervals of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:23.3. Only Monochromatic (Manzi) was within earshot through the much of the chase, which had Delightful Diva hit the mile in 1:51.4 before getting the added distance in 1:58.2 - a new standard for aged pacing mares. Monochromatic was second, beaten three lengths, with Symphony in Motion (Gregory), Ramona Disomma (Jordan Stratton) and Up Front Kelli Jo (Dube) grabbing the remainder.
For Delightful Diva, a six-year-old Bettors Delight lass owned by KDM Stables and trained by Lou Pena, she returned $5.10 for her seventh win
in 21 seasonal starts.
(Yonkers Raceway)