Last year’s frosh champion Gimpanzee faced no challenge when striding to an open-length victory in the $500,000 Yonkers Trot on Saturday, Aug. 31, beating the track record for three-year-old trotting colts with a 1:53.3 mile.
Driver Brian Sears sent Gimpanzee to the front from post 4 and took command from Sheenas Boy racing second and Soul Strong third. Soul Strong began to gallop past a :28 opening quarter while Forbidden Trade inherited third and narrowed on the top two nearing a :56.4 half.
Forbidden Trade tipped from the pylons entering the backstretch and attempted to gain on Gimpanzee but stalled wide of Sheenas Boy as the pacesetter widened his lead approaching three-quarters in 1:25. Gimpanzee’s margin grew through the lane as Forbidden Trade held second from Soul Strong recovering for third.
“The horse has done everything we’ve asked of him all along,” Sears said after the race. “He’s just a pleasure to drive and he makes my job very easy. He was really on his toes tonight and Marcus and everybody in his outfit have done a wonderful job with all the nice horses that they have and it’s just a pleasure to be a part of it.”
Banking $1,145,996 for owners Courant Inc. and S R F Stable, Gimpanzee won his fifth race from seven starts this season and his 14th from 16 overall. Marcus Melander conditions the Chapter Seven colt who paid $2.60 to win.
“He’s been [great on a half] since day one when I warmed him up here for the first time. He just lays into the turns like a motorcycle; he’s just an amazing horse. He just wants to really race to win. I don’t think there’s a better three-year-old on a half mile than he is and I think he showed that tonight.”
Be sure to check out the rest of the recaps from Saturday's stakes-packed card in SC's News Centre