Yonkers Raceway presented a pair of Friday night features - the $44,000 Open Handicaps for trotters and distaff pacers – with Blacktuxwhitesocks and Feeling You taking their respective assignments.
The trotting feature saw Blacktuxwhitesocks, who left from Post 6 for driver George Brennan, prevail in a solid, two-move effort. He edged away from tempo-setting Wuthering Hanover (Jim Pantaleano) late and won by a neck in 1:54.3. Sing Jesse Sing (Jason Bartlett), Big Sky Storm (Jordan Stratton) and Flex The Muscle (Jeff Gregory) grabbed the small change. Blacktuxwhitesocks paid $4.10.
Last week's winner, Fox Valley Iliad (Larry Stalbaum), could not survive the odyssey of a first-turn break.
For Blacktuxwhitesocks, a five-year-old statebred Credit Winner gelding co-owned (as American Viking Racing Stable) by trainer Trond Smedshammer and Purple Haze Stables, it was his fifth win in 13 seasonal starts.
The lasses saw Feeling You overcome the eight-hole for Eric Goodell and take it the distance, with intervals along the way of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:24.3 en route to the 1:52.4 score. Rock N Soul (Bartlett) was second beaten a length, with Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland), Southwind Jazmin (Gregory) and last week's victress, Lighting Treasure (Dan Dube), rounding out the payees. Feeling You returned $11.40.
For Feeling You, a five-year-old daughter of Cambest trained by Amber Buter for co-owners Gallicchio Racing Stable, Tyler Buter and Vincent Cannella, she's now 8-for-19 this season.
(Yonkers Raceway)