Evenin Of Pleasure (George Brennan, $6.40), despite being three-deep early, was comfy late, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $55,000 Open Handicap Pace.
In play from post position No. 6, Evenin Of Pleasure had to wait his turn until Bakersfield (Brent Holland) stuffed Great Vintage (Eric Goodell) in behind. ‘Pleasure’ paid a :26.4 opening quarter-mile privilege, but rated a :30.1 next quadrant (57-second intermission). It would serve him well.
It was :27.3 down the backside as The Rev (Brian Sears) tried it first-up from fourth. However, the 1:24.3 three-quarters found that one backing away as Evenin Of Pleasure owned a couple of lengths in the lane.
He easily held Bakersfield at bay, winning by a length and a quarter in 1:52. Great Vintage, Somesizesomestyle (Dan Dube) and The Rev settled for the minors.
For second choice Evenin Of Pleaaure, a seven-year-old son of Dragon Again owned by Gestion J Y Blais Inc. of Montreal, Que., and trained by Ron Burke, the win was his second in eight ’17 tries. The exacta paid $22.20, the triple returned $81.50 and the superfecta paid $405.
Yonkers offers up the second of eight consecutive Sunday matinees (July 23), with a first post of 12:30 p.m.
Hannah Miller Wins Billings East Region Semi-Final
How do you stop her? That’s probably a question that many amateur drivers are asking. Now for the second consecutive night at Yonkers Raceway, “Hurricane Hannah” Miller again emerged victorious over her competition when she guided Hidden Identity to a gate-to-wire triumph in the $15,000 Billings east region semi-final. The previous evening, over the same Yonkers double oval, the talented miss won the seventh leg of the NAADA spring trotting series and will finish as the top point-earner in that eight-week, two-track series.
However, on Saturday night at the Westchester County double oval, the Billings mid-season semi final in the east region was up for grabs and Miller drove aggressively after starting from the eight-hole. She gunned the Tom Milici-trained Hidden Identity for the lead despite starting on the far outside, and halfway around the first turn Miller's charge was in front and they led the field by the first stanza :29.1.
“The starter let us go sooner, which certainly helped the outside horses, and we made the top relatively easy since my horse left like a runner,” Miller related via telephone as she headed to the airport to catch a plane to Illinois to see her grandma, who is recuperating from knee surgery.
Once on top, Hidden Identity coasted along relatively unchallenged until the field headed up the backside. When they approached the third stanza, “Coach Paul” Minore tipped Wygant Prince and they began to chase down Hidden Identity.
As the two leaders trotted into the final turn, Wygant Prince had collared Hidden Identity and they raced side by side around the turn and were just noses apart at the top of the lane.
“We got away with easy fractions and my horse wasn’t tired. And when we straightened for home, he shifted gears and began to trot away from Wygant Prince and we won it by a length in 2:00.2,” Miller said.
Third place went to Landonfitz and driver Dave “Steady as” Yarock.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway and Billings Series)