Kiwi’s beat Aussie’s in Yonkers Open Pace

The on-track harness racing feature on Monday at Yonkers Raceway was the $48,000 Open Handicap Pace, and it was won by Nandolo N and driver Jason Bartlett who won in 1:51.3. All eight of the starters in the race hail from either New Zealand or Australia, not one of the starters was from North America.

Stars Align A and Brent Holland blasted to the top from post one, and when Leonidas A and Austin Siegelman moved up to try and take the lead past the 28.1 opening quarter, Holland elected to leave Leonidas A on the outside.

Stars Align A and Leonidas A battled through middle-half fractions of 55.1 and 1:22.3, with Micky Gee N and Jim Marohn Jr. following Leonidas A from second-over and Nandolo N positioned third-over.

On the final bend, Marohn Jr. cut Micky Gee N three-wide and Bartlett fanned out four-wide with Nandolo N, and it the stretch it was Nandolo N who had the freshest legs and the best kick, as he hit the front midway through the lane and then pulled clear to prevail by a length and three-quarters. Leonidas A held second despite the tough trip, and Funatthebeach N and Jordan Stratton rallied from seventh to third in the last quarter.

There were no tickets that went six-for-six in Monday night’s (October 4) Pick 6 sequence, resulting in a carryover of $4,474.89 on Tuesday night’s (October 5) program.

For Nandolo N, a 7-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding trained by Shane Tritton for owner Team Tritton Inc. This was Nandolo N’s 11th career win, and he has now earned $233,851. Nandolo N was the 2-1 second choice and paid $6.90 to win. The exacta returned $14.60 and the trifecta was worth $116.00.

NANDOLO N REPLAY

The $42,000 Preferred Handicap Pace went a tick faster than the Open Handicap Pace, as 6-5 favorite Splash Brother and driver Tyler Buter clicked in 1:51.2.

Shadow Cat and Siegelman made front from the pole position and carved out panels of 27, 55.3, and 1:23, but Splash Brother made a first-over move out of fourth after the half that carried him into second before three-quarters. After looming to the outside of Shadow Cat around the last turn, Splash Brother hit top gear in the stretch, and he would go by the pace-setter on his way to a 2 3/4 length decision. Shadow Cat held second over a gaining The Wild Card and Stratton.

Trainer Ray Schnittker also co-owns Splash Brother, a 4-year-old So Surreal gelding, with partners Nolamaura Racing LLC., Steve Arnold, and Tammy Flannery. Splash Brother has a record of 11-11-7 from 37 trips behind the gate, he returned $4.50 to win, and was atop a $12.40 exacta and a $75.50 trifecta.

SPLASH BROTHER REPLAY

Yonkers Raceway’s 12-race program on Tuesday night gets underway at 7:15 p.m., with the Pick 6 starting in race three. The card is highlighted by four $35,000 divisions of the second leg of the Pop-Up Series for pacers who are non-winners of $20,000 in their last five starts.

For full race results, click here.

From Yonkers Raceway