Yonkers Raceway's usual Friday night pair of $44,000 Open Handicaps--for trotters and distaff pacers, respectively--were won MMs Lucky Boy (Brent Holland, $8.70) and Ace Of Pace (Cat Manzi, $11.80).
Assigned post position No. 6, MMs Lucky Boy was away third as given-the-pylons Grain Of Truth (Eric Goodell) put up soft intervals of :28.1 and :58.1. MMs Lucky Boy then advanced to challenge in and out of the 1:26.3 three-quarters, and the match race was on.
Grain Of Truth maintained a short lead in and out of the final turn, and, in point of fact, it took 'Lucky Boy' just about the entire stretch to get by. He did, winning by a nose in 1:55.4.
Big Sky Storm (Jordan Stratton) was third despite badly gapping the winner until the issue was over, with Wuthering Hanover (Jim Pantaleano) and Bastille (Larry Stalbaum) grabbing the small change. Blacktuxwhitesocks (Dan Dube), as the 11-10 choice, was a non-factor sixth.
For second-choice MMs Lucky Boy, a five-year-old Malabar Millennium gelding trained by Erv Miller for himself, along with David and John Prushnok, it was his sixth win (second consecutive) in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $106.50, with the triple returning $698.
As for Ace Of Pace, leaving from post No. 2, she sat pocketed to 7-5 favourite Run On Luck (George Brennan) as that one threw down fractions of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:24.4. Rock N Soul (Jason Bartlett) offered a protracted, first-up challenge, but the people's preference owned a length and a half lead into the lane.
However, Run On Luck was soon out of luck, as Ace Of Pace scooted up the cones, winning by a length in 1:53.2. Rock N Soul did get into second, with Shaky Hanover (Dube), a tiring Run On Luck and Naughtytiltheend (Holland) completing the cashers. Billmar Scooter (Goodell), who returned to town after doing very good work in the Poconos, was assigned the eight-hole and beat no one.
For third-choice Ace Of Pace, a four-year-old daughter of Cams Card Shark owned by Belle Amore Stable and trained by Meir Geller, it was her sixth win in 20 '12 tries. The exacta paid $102.50, the triple returned $849 and the superfecta paid $2,599.
(Yonkers Raceway)