Sapphire City, driven by Dan Dube, did his damage from off the pace Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Forced to change his tact and race from behind, Sapphire City -- assigned post position No. 6 -- saw Heston Blue Chip (Brent Holland) have to work to get around pole assignee Life Up Front (Eric Carlson) after a contested :26.2 opening quarter-mile.
From there, a rated :29.1 second interval (:55.3 half) before 9-10 favourite Pancetta (Jordan Stratton) moved from fifth. Sapphire City went along for the tow toward a 1:23.4 three-quarters.
Pancetta ducked in a quick rest stop when Life Up Front gave up the ghost. However, the leader remained such into the lane, with a length and a quarter advantage in and out of the final turn. Sapphire City angled inside and closed stoutly, whipping Heston Blue Chip by a neck in 1:51.1, a tick off his season's-best. Pancetta settled for third, with Dream Out Loud N (Eric Goodell) and P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett) settling for the remainder.
Sapphire City, a six-year-old Metropolitan gelding trained by Paul Blumenfeld for co-owners Centaur Stables and Jordan Sklut, returned $15.20 (third choice) for his fourth win in 25 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $48, with the triple returning $152.
New York Sire Stakes continue Monday night, with the $226,200 Art Watson Pace (three-year-old fillies).
(Yonkers Raceway)