Due to a quirk in the schedule — no racing the previous evening — Yonkers Raceway offered three — count ‘em, three -- $46,000 featured events this past Saturday night (Aug. 17).
The week’s marquee trot was blindly drawn and worked to the advantage of pole-sitting, odds-on Eye ofa Tiger AS (Jason Bartlett, $3).
Retaking from Theresademoninme (Eric Goodell) right after a :27.4 opening quarter-mile, Eye ofa Tiger AS knocked off his appointed rounds (:57, 1:24.4, life-best 1:53.4). He whipped his pocketed pursuer by a length, with Lord Cromwell (Austin Siegelman), In Secret (George Brennan) and Such an Angel (Jim Marohn Jr.) rounding out the payees.
For Eye ofa Tiger AS, a five-year-old statebred Chapter Seven gelding co-owned by ACL Stuteri AB & Kjell Johansson and trained by Anette Lorentzon, it was his eighth win in 22 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $12, the triple returned $113 and the superfecta paid $376.50.
Saturday night’s Open Handicap Pace and Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace were both laid out in the same way: inside number assigned, outside seven numbers drawn.
Betterb Chevron N (Jordan Stratton, $14) closed from last at the three-quarters and seventh off the final turn to snap 11-10 fave Miss You N (Bartlett) in the week’s distaff derby. From post position No. 7, the margin was a nose in 1:52. Dibaba N (Goodell) was third, with Annabeth (Siegelman) and D Gs Elsa (Joe Bongiorno) settled for the remainder.
Gold Orchid N (Dan Dube) led through intervals of :27., 56 and 1:23.3 before fading to seventh.
For third choice Betterb Chevron N, a six-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettors Delight owned by William Hartt and trained by Lance Hudson, it was her seventh win in 19 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $46.80, the triple returned $121 and the superfecta paid $785.
Last, but certainly not least, was a 51st career win by favoured The Real One (Pat Lachance, $4.10). Yonkers’ co-track-record-holder (1:50) was not required to go that fast in the Open ‘Cap Pace, but 1:52.2 was sufficiently fast to take down Shneonucrzydiamnd A (Brent Holland) by a neck.
The latter led through subsections of :27.2; :56.3 and 1:24.3, with The Real One—away fourth from post No. 5—grinding by first-over. The minors went to Control Tower (Siegelman), Dr. J Hanover (Marohn Jr.) and Perfectly Close (Stratton).
For The Real One, a nine-year-old Mach Three gelding trained by his chauffeur for owner Helene Filion, he’s now 4-for-14 this season (career $1,160,488). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $11.80, the triple returned $63 and the superfecta paid $214.
Also Saturday, a season-high, fourth-race superfecta paid $109,674 (base $2 payout, 10-cent ticket worth $5,483.70). The combination was 7-1-8-5, with The Lunch Pail (Holland) winning at a $79 mutuel. He was chased home by rivals at 20-1, 80-1 and 3-2, respectively.
(Yonkers Raceway)