Safe from Terror in easy $40,000 Open

YONKERS, NY, Friday, February 16, 2018—Tepid choice Safe from Terror (Eric Goodell, $5.80) was safe from her seven harness racing rivals Friday night (Feb. 16^th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Wanting no part of an early pocket, Safe from Terror—from assigned post position No. 2—took over from pole-given Juxta Cowgirl (Mark MacDonald) in what turned out to a paceless race.

Early intervals of :28 and :57.3 gave Safe from Terror the hammer, and she not above using it. Jewel Lehigh A tried it first-up from third, offering a mild bid in and out of a 1:26.1 three-quarters. Motu Moonbeam N (George Brennan) was behind that one, not getting close to the leader, either.

Safe from Terror, with a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, never saw a serious threat. She won by a length in 1:55.2. Juxta Cowgirl did grab second as the 34-1 rank outsider, with a ground-saving All About Madi (Dan Dube), Jewel Lehigh A and Sell a Bit N (Jordan Stratton) settling for the balance.    

For Safe from Terror, a 6-year-old daughter of Western Terror owned by Big Bad DT Racing and trained by Rob Harmon, it was her second win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $98.50, the triple returned $898 and the superfecta paid $4,314.

Frank Drucker