Brennan wins six including both features

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, October 24, 2015- Harness racing driver George Brennan won half of Yonkers Raceway's program Saturday night, his happy half-dozen including the tandem of $40,000 Open Handicaps.

Favored eight-holes assignees Luminosity ($3.60) and Take it Back Terry ($4.60), both trained by Ron Burke, prevailed in the weekly trotting and pacing features.

Luminosity, left to his own devices in the marquee trot, gave no one else a chance (:27.4, 57.3, 1:26.2, 1:55). He whipped a cone-skimming Sumatra (Jordan Stratton) by 2¾ lengths, with a loose-pocket Fort Valley AS (Eric Carlson) fading to third. Zooming (Tyler Buter) and Lorenzo Dream (Brent Holland) came away with the remainder.

For Luminosity, a 5-year-old Cash Hall gelding co-owned by Burke Racing by Weaver Bruscemi, it was his 14th win in 31 seasonal starts (third consecutive, sixth win in last eight tries). The exacta paid $25.80, with the triple returning $267..

The weekly featured pace saw "Terry" grind away in a two-move effort. Finding a convenient three-hole, he moved to challenge Lucan Hanover (Mark MacDonald) after that one's early intervals (:27., :56.1).

Take it Back Terry engaged the leader in earnest in and out of the 1:23.2 three-quarters, but "Lucan" maintained a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. However, "Terry" is as tough as they come and edged up and over both the leader and a pocket-sitting Big N Bad (Carlson).

"Terry" defeated Lucan Hanover by a neck, with Big N Bad, Ideal Cowboy (Jeff Gregory) and Mach's Beach Boy (Pat Lachance) rounded out the pay envelopes.

For Take it Back Terry, a 6-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, it was his 11th win in 26 '15 tries. The exacta paid $32.60, the triple returning $112.50 and the superfecta paid $749.

Props, as well, to driver Gregory, who drove three winners (mutuels of $3.70, $73 and $56.50), while Buter (two wins) and Holland (one) accounted for the remainder.

Frank Drucker