Yonkers Open Trot to Such An Angel

YONKERS, NY, Sunday, July 15, 2018-Such an Angel (Brian Sears, $14.60) did it quite well Sunday afternoon (July 15th), winning Yonkers Raceway's featured $54,800 Open Handicap Trot.

The weekly trotting feature went as the late-morning opener, the first of four, mile-and-a-quarter, bigger-field 'French' forays.

Away third from post position No. 5, Such an Angel saw lass Weslynn Dancer (Jason Bartlett) serve as the 28-second opening act before yielding to a wide-early In Secret (George Brennan).

The one's lead in the polls continued through a :57.2 half before Such an Angel moved with purpose.

The challenger took over right by the 1:27 three-quarters, then opened up some overcast daylight.

While this was transpiring, an out-every-step Marion Marauder (Scott Zeron), as the 1-2 favorite, continued to advance from his eight-hole impost. However, he found himself with too much work to do as Such an Angel-after a 1:55 milepost- widened to 3¼ lengths in and out of the final turn.

The leader finished it off in a good-track 2:24.2…matching the distance record for a 4-year-old gelding (Hemi Seelster). Marion Marauder trimmed the final margin by a length-and-a-quarter while easily second. In Secret, Mostinterestingman (Steve Smith) and Charmed Life (Mark MacDonald) grabbed the minors.

For third choice Such an Angel, a previously-mentioned 4-year-old (statebred Credit Winner) gelding owned by Sam Caruso Jr. and trained by Hunter Oakes, it was his sixth win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $32.80, the triple returned $113.50 and the superfecta paid $714.

Sunday's final seasonal Belmont rendition of the 'New York, New York Double' featured a winning combination of 1-Hay Field (Belmont's 3rd race) and 2-Beach Memories (Yonkers' 10th race) returned $20.20 (hindsight?) for every correct $1 ticket. Total pool was $5,673.

The next Sunday matinee is July 22nd (post time TBA).

by Frank Drucker, for Yonkers Raceway