Real Nice (Jordan Stratton), as the 22-1 second-longest shot on the Saturday night board, went from first-up to first home, winning Yonkers Raceway's $48,000 Open Handicap Pace
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Real Nice, away third from post position No. 2, watched as Meant To Be Me (Stephane Bouchard) led through a 27-second opening quarter-mile. Eagle Real One (Cat Manzi), the timid 2-1 choice, was pocketed early, which did him no favours late.
Despite rating a :29.1 second quarter, the leader was no match for Real Nice, who went over before the 1:24.4 three-quarters. The outsider owned a length-and-three-quarter lead into the lane, then held off the cavalry.
He found the line a half-length ahead of a second-over Jeremys Successor (Ryan Anderson) in 1:53, with Four Trumps A (Larry Stalbaum) third. Blue Boy (Jason Bartlett)--back after three weeks off--and a buried-alive Eagle Real One completed the cashers. Last week's winner--and this week's eight-hole assignee--rank outsider Psilvuheartbreaker (Jim Meittinis), Forensic Z Tam (Pat Lachance) and Meant To Be Me rounded out the order
For Real Nice, a four-year-old Real Artist gelding trained by Matt Medeiros for co-owners Gary & Beverly Paganelli, he returned $46.60 for his eighth win in 24 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $290, with the triple returning $2,318.
(Yonkers Raceway)