Two-year-olds were prominent Saturday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting a pair of eliminations for the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace.
A baker’s dozen worth of plebes went it at in their $25,000 elims, with the first four finishers in each back for next Saturday’s (July 18) $107,500 finale.
Jason Bartlett, who won half the evening’s dozen races, included wagering choice Do Over Hanover ($5) among that list. The pole-sitting, $25,000 Western Ideal colt won the evening’s first elimination, defeating first-starter Gleneagles (George Brennan) by three and three-quarter lengths in a maiden-breaking 1:56.1. Second and third choices Autotone Hanover (Tyler Buter) and Rodeo Rock (Dan Dube) both survived breaks—and a judges’ inquiry—to finish third and fourth, respectively.
For Do Over Hanover, trained by Jim Campbell for co-owners Jeffrey and Michael Snyder and Robert Unice, it was that first career win in a couple of starts. The exacta paid $37.60, with the triple returning $143.
The second elimination saw Joe Larry N Curly (Brennan), sent off at 1-10 odds and the reason show wagering was taken off the table, fail to get the memo. He jumped it off wildly leaving the gate, winding up distanced.
That left Tailgunner Hanover (Ray Schnittker, $23.40) in a race by himself, doing his business—from post No. 6—from an open lead. He won by six and a quarter lengths in an identical (and life-best) 1:56.1. Endeavor (Pat Lachance), Artmagic (Brian Sears) and War N Munn (Dube) also earned their way into the final.
For third choice Tailgunner Hanover, a $50,000 Well Said colt co-owned (with Joe Sbrocco, Frank Baldassare and Howard Taylor) by his trainer/driver, it was his second win in three ’15 tries. The exacta paid $130, with the triple returning $544.
Saturday’s pair of $48,000 Open Handicaps we won by trotter Red Hot Herbie (catch-driver Bartlett, $9) in 1:55 and pacer P H Supercam (Bartlett, $3.90) in 1:51.3.
Note that since no one took down Saturday’s Pick 5, Monday night’s gimmick—already with a $10,000 guaranteed pool—begins with a carryover of $4,726.64 (50-cent base wager, races seven through 11). The Raceway’s live season continues Monday night at 7:10 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)