The Power Of A Moment bandwagon just keeps moving on...complete with boxcars.
Two weeks ago, he was a pocket winner from the eight-hole at 30-1. Last week, he was pocket winner at 6-1. Saturday night, he again lit up Yonkers Raceway's toteboard
, stepping up to the $52,000 Open Handicap Pace and winning...at 24-1.
Starting outside of his seven rivals with regular driver Brent Holland doing the honours, Power Of A Moment this time offered no early foot.
He watched as pole assignee Saint William A (Larry Stalbaum) stuffed everyone in behind, leading through early intervals of :27.1 and :56.4. Shoobees Place (Pat Lachance) was pocketed, with Mainland Key N (Eric Goodell) uncovered and 2-5 choice Lucky Man (George Brennan) looming from second-up.
Past the 1:23.4 three-quarters, Lucky Man was wide, but void. Saint William A scampered away by two lengths off the final turn, with "Shoobee" edging out of the pocket. That left the HOV lane open for both Forest Vic A (Steve Smith)--sitting a three-hole--and Power Of A Moment, neither of whom had left the cones. Those two began making inroads by the 1:51.4 mile marker.
Forest Vic A, who was involved a dead-heat last week at 37-1, was nearly part of another one here at 22-1. He was able to get the jump on Power Of A Moment, but the latter's last surge after finding room was just enough. POwer Of A Moment prevailed by a short head, getting the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:58.4. Shooebees Place, Saint William A and Clear Vision (Jim Pantaleano)--involved in last week's heater--completed the cashers.
For Power Of A Moment, a four-year-old Cole Muffler co-owned by (trainer) Erv Miller, Leland Mathias and Bert Hochsprung, he returned $50.50 for his fourth win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta--two longest shots on the board--paid $477, with the triple (three of the four rank outsiders) returning $9,761.
(Yonkers Raceway)