Veteran Great Vintage went coast to coast Saturday, Aug. 11 at Yonkers Raceway, winning the $44,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:52.2.
Using his usual gate speed, Great Vintage—from post five—posted intervals of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:24.2. He held off a first-up McErlean by a head, with 3-2 favourite Always At My Place third.
Pacing Major N and Doctor Butch came away with the minors, while would-be favourite Evenin Of Pleasure scratched sick.
For third-choice Great Vintage, a 10-year-old son of American Ideal owned by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Goran Anderberg & Goran Falk and trained by Jimmy Takter, it was his fifth win in 13 starts this season. Driven by Mark MacDonald, he paid $9.00 to win. The exacta paid $102.50, the triple returned $402 and the superfecta paid $636.
It was one of MacDonald’s four wins during the 11-race card.
Sunday, Aug. 12's matinee has a first post of 12:40 p.m. with races 1 through 4 going as the overflow-field, mile-and-a-quarter ‘French’ theme. The ‘New York, New York Double’ is comprised of Saratoga’s first race and Yonkers’ third. Post times are 1 p.m. and 1:40 p.m., respectively.
A friendly reminder from Yonkers Raceway that Sunday afternoon’s Pick-5 wager starts with a carryover of $4,979.96 and a $15,000 guaranteed pool. The guarantee is in conjunction with the U.S. Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.
The Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races 7 through 11 (if 11 or less races, the gimmick is the last five races on the card). It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Saturday night), the entire pool (minus takeout) moves to the next racing program.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)