Brennan & Burke Blitz Yonkers Opens

Published: August 9, 2013 10:51 pm EDT

Yonkers Raceway's Friday night $46,000 co-featured Open Handicaps -- Pace for the fairer sex and Trot for anyone worthy -- were won by a first-up Ramalama (George Brennan, $7.40) and a down-the-road DWs NY Yank (Brennan again, $4).

The femme field -- pared to seven after last week's bridesmaid, Cocoa Beach, came down with the sniffles -- saw 3-2 choice Four Starz Roe (Jason Bartlett) have to work a bit to get around pole-assigned longshot Rockaround Sue (Mark MacDonald). "Roe" did, before a :27-second opening quarter-mile.

At that point, Handsoffmycookie (Dan Dube) looked to move from third, but she didn't get the memo and ducked back in. That allowed "Roe" to get a :56-second intermission before Ramalama -- who began from post position No. 4 after that inside defection -- moved from fourth.

Ramalama pressed the issue to a :27.2 third quarter (1:23.2), poking her nose in front soon after. She opened to a length and a quarter entering the lane, then prevailed by a length and three-quarters in 1:52.1. Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat Lachance) rallied into second, third went to a gapping-the-winner Naughtytiltheend (Brent Holland), with "Cookie" and "Sue" rounding out the payees. "Roe" faded to seventh.

For second choice Ramalama, a four-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Our Horse Cents Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, it was her fifth win in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $68.50, with the triple returning $189.

The featured trot, also slimmed to seven (Super Manning was a judges' scratch) saw favoured DWs NY Yank -- from post No. 6 -- refuse let anyone else play with him.

He enjoyed an open lead at every marker (:28, :57,3, 1:26, 1:54.3). After taking a six-length lead in and out of the final turn, the final margin was a wrapped-up two and three-quarter lengths. Zooming (Bartlett) did get into second, with Likeabatoutahell (Eric Goodell), Somebody As (Jeff Gregory) and Bastille (Jim Pantaleano) settling for the remainder. Second-choice Monsignor Flan (Holland) -- last week's winner -- broke early here and pulled up.

For "DW," a four-year-old Dilbert Hanover gelding co-owned by trainer Burke (as Burke Racing), Howard Taylor and Weaver Brusecemi, he's now nine-for-16 this season. The exacta paid $14.60, the triple returned $68.50 and the superfecta paid $492.50.

(Yonkers Raceway)

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