It was wet rather than white as favoured Not Afraid (Dan Dube, $5.90) proved best Sunday afternoon, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $32,000 Open Handicap Trot.
Leaving from post position No. 4, he had some company with Theraputic (George Brennan) and Red Hot Herbie (Brian Sears). “Herbie” made the lead before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile as Not Afraid deferred into a three-hole.
After a 58-second intermission, Not Afraid was moving again, hooking Red Hot Herbie in and out of the 1:28.1 three-quarters. Red Hot Herbie owned a short lead into the lane, but Not Afraid was relentless. He put away “Herbie,” then held off a hard-charging Dot Dot Dot Dash (Matt Kakaley) by a neck in 1:57.
Red Hot Herbie, Tweet Me (Pat Lachance) and Sumatra (Jordan Stratton) completed the cashers, while Theraputic tired to last among the half-dozen.
For Not Afraid, a now-seven-year-old S Js Caviar gelding trained by Jimmy Takter for co-owners his wife, Christina, John Fielding and Goran Anderberg, he won his seasonal debut (career earnings up and over $700,000). The exacta paid $40, with the triple returning $143.
(Yonkers Raceway)