Motu Moonbeam N takes $40,000 Open

YONKERS, NY, Friday, January 26, 2018 — Slight harness racing favorite Motu Moonbeam N (Matt Kakaley, $7.60) took over early and lasted late Friday night (Jan. 26th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Filly and Mare Open Pace.

Away second from post position No. 2, Motu Moonbean N grabbed the lead from pole-assigned All About Madi (George Brennan) before a :27.4 opening quarter-mile. Sell a Bit N (Jordan Stratton) was also put in play, finding a seat third.

After a :57.4 intermission, Hidden Land (Eric Goodell) tried it first-up from fifth. That one offered just a mild bid in and out of a 1:26.3 three-quarters, with Mach it a Par (Jason Bartlett) in behind.

Motu Moonbeam N owned a length lead into the lane, with All About Madi taking a shot inside and Sell a Bit N needing room that wasn’t there. The leader did held, prevailing by a desperate nose in a season’s-best 1:54.4. All About Madi was second, with Sell a Bit N, Mach it a Par and Annabeth (Brent Holland) settling for the minors.  

For Motu Moonbeam N, a 6-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettor’s Delight owned by Friendship Stables and trained by Paul Blumenfeld, it was her second win three seasonal starts. The exacta paid $29, with the triple returning $128.

Foiled Again returns

Foiled Again’s second crack at his first hundred happens in conjunction with Yonkers Raceway ‘s return to Thursday nights.

First post for the 10-race, first-of-the-month card is 6:50 PM. Foiled Again, whose 99 career wins go along with a sport’s-best $7.5 million in earnings, drew post position No. 5 in the $20,000, eighth-race pace.

Yannick Gingras is reunited with his long-time ‘date’ for co-owner (as Burke Racing)/trainer Ron Burke. The 14-year-old Dragon Again gelding won his seasonal debut, moving him to the precipice of the milestone. However, he threw in a clunker in his last outing, finishing a non-factor sixth.

Thursday night is the 306^th lifetime purse try for Foiled Again as he remains at the same (non-winners of $20,000 in last five starts) level of his previous two races.

Note that the Raceway shall offers a six-program race week beginning this Sunday (Jan. 28^th). The Sunday ‘French’ card goes at High Noon, while the ensuing evenings (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) all have a first post of 6:50 PM.

After this weekend, Sundays take a hiatus until Feb. 25^th.    

Frank Drucker