Mach N Cheese cooks up Open victory

Mach N Cheese handily defeated seven rivals in the $42,000 Open Pace harness racing class at Yonkers Raceway on Monday as he led all the way.

He out-left the rest in the trip to the first turn and took sole control of the top spot for Jason Bartlett. Mach N Cheese delivered a :27.1 opening quarter mile, followed by a half in :56.2, and a 1:24 three-quarters as Ostro Hanover (Tyler Buter) challenged on the outside.

Mach N Cheese dispatched that attacker turning for home and drew away to a three-and-a-quarter-length score in 1:51.3. Caviart Luca (George Brennan) passed tired foes to snag the place spot; Raukapuka Ruler N (Jordan Stratton) finished third.

MACH N CHEESE REPLAY

Mach N Cheese, a six-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding, paid $10.20 to win as he notched a 17th lifetime win in 70 starts. The Edwin Quevedo trainee has now earned $366,192 for Save The Day Stable of East Newport.

The fourth race, a $50,000-$75,000 claiming event with a purse of $31,000, was marred by an accident involving Rock Lights (Scott Zeron) and Lets Have Another (Jordan Stratton).
Rock Lights made a bad step and fell to his knees while advancing three-wide on the final turn, causing him to slow dramatically while trying to regain his stride. A fast-moving Lets Have Another clipped Rock Lights’ bike with his own – contact which Stratton mitigated with evasive action – and the drivers of both horses fell to the ground. The horses stayed on their feet, and both crossed the finish line.

ACCIDENT REPLAY – CAUTION, MAY BE UPSETTING TO SOME VIEWERS

No further information is available regarding the condition of either reinsman, but both Zeron and Stratton drove in the following race. The broadcast showed them standing and walking following the incident.

The horses remained loose for some time after the race ended. Announcer John Hernan called that Rock Lights was down in a hedge on the far turn; several minutes later, he said that the horse “sprang up” after horsepeople removed his harness. There is no information available on Lets Have Another.

Uptown Funk, a six-year-old gelding by Shadow Play, officially won the race for driver Jason Bartlett and owner/trainer Nicole Dicostanzo of Manalapan. Soho Leviathan A (Austin Siegelman) nabbed second over Dealt A Winner (George Brennan), who finished third. Glengarry Knight N (Matt Kakaley) and Keystone Phoenix (Daniel Dube) both finished distanced after moving to avoid the incident.

Shneonucrzydiamnd A (Dube) went wire-to-wire in the $29,000 Preferred Handicap. The eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding set :28.3, :57.4, and 1:25.2 fractions on the way to a 1:52.4 win. Rockin Speed (Joe Bongiorno) finished second by three quarters of a length, and On The Virg (Brent Holland) was third. The win price was $5.80.

SHNEONUCRZYDIAMND A REPLAY

Shneonucrzydiamnd A is 27-for-135 lifetime with just less than $425,000 in earnings. Gilberto Garcia-Herrera of Columbus (NJ) owns and trains the eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding.

Yonkers Raceway sees action next on Tuesday, Jun. 22. The card will begin at 7:15 p.m. EDT and consist of 12 dashes.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink