Lispatty (George Brennan, $6.20) bottomed ‘em out Friday night (August 4), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $55,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Going right down the road (:27.1, :55.3, 1:23.2, season’s-best 1:52.2) from assigned post position No.4, Lispatty showed no love to 11-10 favourite Regil Elektra (Jason Bartlett). The former hung the latter, who eventually threw it in reverse, finishing seventh.
Lispatty opened four lengths passing the three-quarters, aided by pocket-sitting Sail To The Beach (Brian Sears) tiring badly. Delightful Dragon (Brent Holland) slipped out from behind that one, but had too much ground to make up.
The lead was three and a half lengths in and out of the final turn, more than enough as Lispatty lasted by a length and a quarter. Delightful Dragon was second, with HP Siddy (Dan Dube), Sell A Bit N (Jordan Stratton) and Sail To The Beach completing the cashers.
For second choice Lispatty, a four-year-old daughter of McArdle owned by Gilberto Garcia-Owen and trained by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera, the win was her third in 17 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $46, with the triple returning $1,186.
A friendly reminder from Yonkers Raceway that Saturday evening’s (August 5) Pick 5 wager starts with a carryover of $2,780.45.
The Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races seven through 11 during every racing card. It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Friday night), the entire pool (minus takeout) moves to the next racing program.
Note that the Raceway is open for simulcasting a half-hour earlier (11:30 a.m.) on Saturday to accommodate Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands as well as the Meadows (first posts for both at 12 Noon).
Kleinhans Wins Amateur Final
It was eight weeks in the making and on Friday, Aug. 5 the top point-earners in the NAADA Summer Trotting Series convened at Yonkers Raceway for the $15,000 series finale, and when the judges hung the official sign, Toss Cartwright and driver Peter Kleinhans emerged victorious, a length better than Hannah Miller’s Pine Tab in a 1:59.1 clocking.
Although it was a non-betting race, Pine Tab, off two consecutive victories, figured to be the one to beat and Alan Schwartz took that to heart.
When the wings of the mobile gate folded, Schwartz sent his Ladys Big Stormont for the lead and that move pushed Pine Tab to rebuff the challenge, but the :28.1 first stanza took a toll on Pine Tab later in the mile.
However, once Schwartz found a spot along the pylons, Paul Minore moved Wygant Prince out to keep the pressure on Pine Tab and the two trotters were heads apart at the first half, which was trotted in :58.2. They then raced side by side toward the third stanza, but Miller’s charge refuse to give an inch.
Around the final turn, the eventual winner was still three lengths behind Pine Tab, who had put away Wygant Prince. But in the deep stretch, trouble loomed for ‘Hurricane Hannah’ as the speedy first half began to take toll on Pine Tab and the veteran tired and his strides shortened at which point Kleinhans saw a chance for victory and got after Toss Cartwright. The Muscles Yankee gelding rallied to a one-length triumph over Pine Tab. Wygant Prince held on for the show dough.
It was the third seasonal victory for Toss Cartwright, who is owned by Colleen Cash and trained by John McDermott. For Kleinhans, it marked his third seasonal triumph in just 10 trips to post this season and the 54th of his amateur driving career.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway & NAADA)