Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $44,000 co-featured Open Handicaps - for distaff pacers and all-welcome trotters - were won by millionairess Monkey On My Wheel and Lorenzo Dream.
Odds-on choice Monkey On My Wheel, whose assigned eight-hole became post position seven after Krispy Apple came up ill, was immediately put in play. She worked around pole-given Handsoffmycookie (Dan Dube), taking the lead before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile. From there, it was a :57.3 half before Road Bet (Eric Carlson) moved from fifth. Monkey On My Wheel then found a 1:25.4 three-quarters, a couple of lengths to the good turning for home. An off-cover Virgin Mary (Eric Goodell) closed stoutly, but the people’s choice was tough for driver Brian Sears. She held sway by a neck in 1:53.3. Road Bet, Camille (George Brennan) and Robin Cruiser (Jordan Stratton) came away with the remainder.
For Monkey On My Wheel, a six-year-old homebred daughter of Mach Three owned by Mac Nichol and trained by Casie Coleman, it was her seventh win in 16 seasonal starts (career earning just shy of $1.5 million).
The week’s marquee trot saw Lorenzo Dream make the first lead from post seven. He then had a wide-early 3-5 choice DWs NY Yank (Brennan) get around a breaking Tober (Jason Bartlett) and make the lead before a :27.4 first sub-station. He then found next intervals of :57.4 and 1:27.2, taking a length lead in and out of the final turn. However, Lorenzo Dream edged in and went by late, picking off the favourite by a neck in 1:55.4. Harbor Point (Dube), a tough-trip Zooming (Goodell) and Hoorayforvacation (Carlson) settled for the small change.
For third choice Lorenzo Dream, a seven-year-old Taurus Dream gelding owned by Vincent Laurenzo and trained by Julie Miller, it was his sixth win in 17 starts this season.
(Yonkers Raceway)