Apparently, Yonkers Raceway has a new incentive plan...win a race at a triple-figure mutuel, meet a former major league baseball All-Star.
That was the carrot at the end of the Friday night (September 30) stick for trainer/driver Pat Lachance after his last-to-first, 53-1, eight-hole upset with Ace Of Clubs. The bombardier paid an even $108 to win the fifth race going away by three and a qaurter lengths.
The soggy, hotly-contested fourth race saw 3-10 choice Cartoon Daddy (Jason Bartlett) duelled into submission and finished seventh as Ace Of Clubs circled his rivals to earn his first seasonal win in his 16th seasonal start (1:58.2).
Just outside the winner’s circle was an impromptu meet-and-great with New York Mets’ Hall of Famer John Franco.
Franco, a native New Yorker and one of baseball’s all-time standout relief pitchers, was visiting Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway. Franco and Amazin’ fans were at Dan Rooney’s Sports Bar as the Mets took on the Philadelphia Phillies in a game with wild-card playoff implications.
Spirited conversation and autographed photos (of Franco, not Lachance. Sorry, Pat) was also included in the evening.
Mach It A Par Wins Mares Open
Favoured Mach It A Par (Jason Bartlett, $4.60) was hard-used early and hardly-used late Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s soggy $45,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
In play from her assigned post position No. 6, Mach It a Par was out into the second turn before finally making the lead. She did so from Secrets Out N (Tyler Buter) after that one threw down a 27-second opening quarter-mile.
From there, it turned into a two-speed number (:55.4, 1:24.3, 1:52.3), with Mach It A Par easily prevailing by three and three-quarter lengths. Sell A Bit N (Jordan Stratton) was a first-up third, with Devil Child (Dan Dube) and Al Raza N (Eric Abbatiello) grabbing the minors.
For Mach It A Pair, a six-year-old daughter of Mach Three co-owned by D’Elegance Stable IX, Carmen Iannacone, T L P & Gandolfo Stables and trained by Rich Banca, the win was her ninth in 30 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $17.40, with the triple returning $63.
(Yonkers Raceway)