Yonkers Raceway hosted Ladies Night, with the fairer sex winning not only Friday's pair of $48,000 Open Handicaps, but also the biggest jackpot since Empire City opened
.
Victors Vicky (Jordan Stratton), who once upon a time owned Yonkers Raceway's track record for trotters, owned an inside assignment here and took full advantage. Sitting behind pace-setting Armbro Barrister (Jeff Gregory) and pocket-sitting tonebridge Diablo (Stephane Bouchard), she angled out for the drive.
"Vicky" outgamed a stubbon, first-up Winnin Image (Greg Grismore)--the 31-1 rank outsider--to prevail by three-quarters of a length in a season's-best 1:56. Stonebridge Diablo, Armbro Barrister and last week's winner, Batalj Launcher (Jason Bartlett) completed the cashers, while 1-2 choice American Lane (Cat Manzi) never fired and was last among the seven (Stunt Man Hall was ill).
For "Vicky," a six-year-old daughter of Valley Victor owned by Fabulous Farms and trained by Richard Johnson, she paid $7.20 (second choice) for her fourth victory in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta paid $139, with the triple returning $505.
Friday night's co-featured Filly and Mare Open 'Cap Pace saw odds-on Fleur De Lil A (Bartlett) grab the baton from Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance) late and grab her first local win.
Hannah Isabel had retaken from Qucksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum), then set sail through ambitious intervals of :28, :56.2 and 1:24.2. Fleur De Lil A, sitting third from post position No. 2, slipped out to go after the leader. She did get by in mid-stretch, winning by A length-and-a-quarter in 1:52.3. Twin B Tiara (Jim Pantaleano), Double Dream N (Brent Holland) and Sentbytheangels (Ryan Anderson) collected the small change.
For Fleur De Lil A, a six-year-old Down Under-Armbro Operative lass owned by Andrew McCarthy and trained by Noel Daley, she $2.60 for her third victory in 14 '09 tries. The exacta paid $10 (two wagering choices), with the triple returning $79.50.
However, both "Vicky" and "Lil" were upstaged Friday night by "Lucky Jennifer."
Jennifer H., a nurse from Englewood, New Jersey, who visits Empire City about twice a month, hit a jackpot for a whopping "track record" $215,863.76.
Jennifer's windfall came after putting a grand total of $20 into a two-cent, wide-area progressive machine with a "max bet" of $4. She had about $4 in credits remaining before that figure multiplied exponentially.
"Oh, my God," was her immediate reaction. Research shows that "Oh, my God" is indeed the most popular utterance among our jackpot winners.
Yonkers Raceway congratulates Jennifer for winning our latest--and richest--jackpot ever.
(Yonkers Raceway)