Yonkers $44k Distaff Derby goes to Tequila Monday

YONKERS, NY, Friday, May 25, 2018-Tequila Monday (Brian Sears, $12.20), last season's Lismore Pace victress, found some near-anniversary symmetry Friday night (May 25th), winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Unhurried from post position No. 6, Tequila Monday saw a trio of leavers in the presence of Call Me Queen Be (Eric Goodell), Lady Shadow (Jason Bartlett) and 1-2 choice Newborn Sassy (Jordan Stratton).

It was Call Me Queen Be doing the early work, as in subsections of :26.2 and :55.4. Newborn Sassy, after finding an eight-seat, made her second move. She engaged the leader in and out of a 1:23.3 three-quarters, with pole-assigned Motu Moonbeam N (Brent Holland) behind that one and Tequila Monday looking at it from third-over.

In and out of the final turn, Newborn Sassy was about to win the battle, but lose the war. In a search of a third consecutive distaff derby, she put away Call Me Queen Be. However, Tequila Monday, who went wide down the backside, sustained her bid and edged way.

She whipped Newborn Sassy by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:52. Third went to Call Me Queen Be, with Annabeth (Mark MacDonald) and Lady Shadow settling for the minors.

For second choice Tequila Monday, a 4-year-old statebred daughter of American Ideal co-owned by Northfork Racing Stable & Chuck Pompey and trained by Hunter Oakes, it was her first win in three seasonal starts (career earnings up and over $600,000). The exacta paid $32.40, the triple returned $180 and the superfecta paid $587.

Yonkers' Saturday night (May 26th) program-the final one before hiatus-offers finals of the Art Rooney Pace (purse $300,000) and the companion event, the $111,444 Lismore (see how this all comes together). The races goes as No. 5 and 6 during the dozen-race card, with first post at 6:50 PM.

14th Lismore…1-Soliditary (Holland, 12-1), 2-Jewels Forreal (Dan Dube, 9-2), 3-Believe in Me (Sears, 9-1), 4-Pass Line Bluechip (Bartlett, 8-5), 5-Python Blue Chip (George Brennan, 6-1), 6-Alexa's Power (Tim Tetrick, 5-1), 7- Checkered Past (MacDonald, 20-1), 8-Reign on Me (Brett Miller, 7-1)

28th Art Rooney Pace…(1-Minnie Vinnie, Tetrick, 6-1), 2-Kwik Talkin' (Brennan, 5-1), 3-Springsteen (Sears, 9-5), 4-Trump Nation (Bartlett, 3-1). 5-Jimtastic (Goodell, 20-1), 6-Major Authority (MacDonald, 20-1), 7- Babes Dig Me (Brett Miller, 10-1), 8-Decoy (Dave Miller, 7-1)

After Saturday, live racing (and evening simulcasting) returns Friday, June 8th.

by Frank Drucker, for Empire City@Yonkers