Odds-on choice Giddy Up Lucky (Eric Goodell) sat well behind a Saturday night speed show, then worked from to second-over, winning Yonkers Raceway's $52,000 Open Handicap Pace
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Assigned outside his six rivals, Giddy Up Lucky was sequestered at the back of the bus early as Silent Swing (Dan Dube), Real Nice (Jason Bartlett) and Clowns Smile (George Brennan) all had designs on the big chair.
Clowns Smile took it after a wicked :26-second opening quarter, then found a :54.1 half. Doubletrouble (Brent Holland) moved from fourth, with the people's preference right behind. Doubletrouble then went past a tiring “Clown” at the 1:23.2 three-quarters, clinging to a short lead turning for home.
First-over fought the good fight, but there was just too much talent on his back. Giddy Up Lucky engaged the leader right around the 1:51.3 mile marker, then edged away. He prevailed by three-quarters of length, getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:58.4. Artists View (Cat Manzi), a trapped Real Nice and Silent Swing rounded out the payees.
For Giddy Up Lucky, a millionaire six-year-old Camluck gelding co-owned by Baron Racing and VIP Internet Stables and trained by Josh Green, he returned $3.70 for his fifth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $30.40, with the triple returning $132.
While Bartlett did not win the feature, he did manage get his picture taken seven times on the 12-race card.
Bartlett, who drove in every race, won the $27,000 second-race pace with Giddy Up Delight ($5.30), pacing the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.1. He then won the $27,000 third-race pace with odds-on Rare Jewel ($3.10) in that same added-distance 1:59.1.
Dreamlands Art ($5.30) was Bartlett's third winner of the evening, going the distance in the $32,000 fifth-race pace (added-distance 2:00.3), while Foreign Officer ($3.30) won the $44,000 seventh-race Preferred Pace (added-distance 1:59.3). Bartlett and invader High Wire Kat ($11) won the $34,000 ninth-race pace (added-distance 2:01.1) before driver and Tamayo ($4) combined to win the $34,000 10th-race pace (added-distance 2:01).
Bartlett completed his night escorting BJs Bequia ($4.20) in the $37,000 pacing finale (added-distance 1:59.3).
Next Saturday night, Yonkers Raceway presents its two premier trotting events of the season, the $445,474 Yonkers Trot--first jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown--and the $237,714 Hudson Filly.
(Yonkers Raceway)