Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $44,000 co-featured Open Handicaps -- for distaff pacers and membership-worthy trotters -- were won by a pair of down-the-roads in Robin Cruiser (Jordan Stratton, $14) and Tober (Jason Bartlett, $5.20).
Robin Cruiser, leaving from post position No. 6 (in one notch after an inside defection), worked around pole-assigned Icommandmyspirit (Larry Stalbaum). She then took at it the house, with weigh stations of :27.3, :56.4, 1:24.4 and 1:52.4. Monkey On My Wheel (Brian Sears), as has been her MO, floated away for an early seat before trying it first-up. However, the 3-5 favourite couldn’t look the leader into the eyes and Robin Cruiser had a length lead into the lane. Icommandmyspirit tried "Robin" up the cones, but missed a half-length, with Monkey On My Wheel, Jonsie Jones (Pat Berry) and Virgin Mary (Eric Goodell) rounding out the payees.
For Robin Cruiser, a five-year-old homebred daughter of Yankee Cruiser owned by Pinske Stable and trained by Julie Miller, the win was her fourth in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $104.50, with the triple returning $356.50.
The week’s marquee trot saw tepid 8-5 choice Tober, in play from post No. 4, lead at every interval (:28, :58, 1:26.1, season’s-best 1:54.2). Slight second choice Coraggioso (Sears) tried the same tactic as Monkey On My Wheel -- leaving from an ordered outside post and trying it first-up. Tober fended off that one’s advances, opened up two and a quarter lengths in and out of the final turn, then held off a cones-skimming The Triple Lindy (Eric Carlson) by a neck. Third went to Coraggioso, with Dewycolorintheline (Stratton) and Zooming (Goodell) settling for the remainder.
Tober is a six-year-old statebred gelding co-owned by (co-breeder) Kristie Leigh Farm and Joseph Betro and trained by Ed Hart. He’s now eight-for-20 this season. The exacta paid $32.20, the triple returned $104 and the superfecta paid $369.50.
Saturday night’s feature is the $125,000 final of the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace for two-year-old colts and geldings.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)