Wind Surfer and driver Jim Pantaleano closed from well out of it Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's co-featured $52,000 Open Handicap Trot
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Whata Hustler (catch-driver Brent Holland) set sail though fractions of :27.2 and :56.4 before Neighsay Hanover (Jeff Gregory) made his second move, leaving the cones from fourth. Whata Hustler, though, continued his open lead in and out of the 1:25.3 three-quarters, owning a three and a half length lead off the final turn.
The leader remained so at the 1:55.4 mile marker, however, the closers began to get closer, with Wind Surfer--sitting fifth from post position No. 3--and KLM Express (Steve Smith) on the scene latest...and fastest.
Wind Surfer was able to get the better of KLM Express (last turning for home), winning by a half-length while negotiating the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 2:03.1. Neighsay Hanover was third, beaten a length, with Whata Hustler and 9-5 favourite Looking Hanover (Eric Goodell) coming away with the remainder.
For Wind Surfer, a six-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding trained by Ron Burke for co-owners Betty Sherman and James Koran of Ohio, he returned $9.30 (third choice) for his third win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $138, the triple returned $667 and the superfecta paid $2,954.
Saturday's co-featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace saw 9-10 choice Full Picture (Gregory) move first-up, duck into a vacant pocket, then prevail.
Docdor Libby (Pantaleano), a $12,500 claimer two starts ago, made the lead from an eight-hole here...though it cost her, as evidenced be early fractions of :26-seconds flat and :54.4. Full Picture, leaving from post No. 3, moved from fourth between that half and the 1:23.1 three-quarters. She found a rest stop when longshot Joyfuljoy N (Mark Lewis) backed out of the pocket.
Meanwhile, Docdor Libby had a length-and-a-half lead entering the lane, but was getting tired by the 1:52.1 mile number. Full Picture went by, as did Cannae Cammie (Holland). The former whipped the latter by three-quarters of a length, getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.2. Docdor Libby, Cotton Candy (Pat Lachance) and Billmar Scooter (Jordan Stratton) rounded out the payees.
For Full Picture, a four-year-old daughter of Artsplace owned by Marvin Rounick of Pennsylvania and trained by Jerry Silverman, she returned $3.80 for her seventh win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $34, with the triple returning $158.
(Yonkers Raceway)