Favourite Take It Back Terry (George Brennan, $4.30) prevailed from the pocket Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Open Handicap Pace.
In play from post position No. 4, ‘Terry’ left around P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett), making the lead right at the :27.4 opening quarter-mile. He then gave it up to a three-deep First Class Horse (Eric Goodell), who found a :56.2 intermission.
Melmerby Beach (Dan Dube) then moved from fifth, offered a minimal challenge in and out of a 1:24 three-quarters. First Class Horse then owned a length-and-three-quarter lead into the lane, where Take it Back Terry was all dressed up.
He ducked inside, winning by a neck in 1:52.4. First Class Horse just held second over a hard-charging Blood Brother (Jordan Stratton), with P H Supercam and newly-minted, all-age track-record holder The Real One (Pat Lachance) settling for the remainder.
For Take It Back Terry, a seven-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, the win was his seventh in 31 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $33.80, the triple returned $171 and the superfecta paid $980.
Note Sunday’s (December 4) first post is High Noon.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)