Holiday traffic, accidents create short fields

The Daily Double at Yonkers Raceway Thursday (Aug. 31) saw seven scratches, mostly due to early holiday traffic and reported accidents. There were numerous other scratches throughout the harness racing program.

The scratches saw the 2^nd race $36,000 Open Handicap Trot down to just three starters, but they all raced as a team down to the wire.

Race favorite Stormy Kromer (Daniel Dube) cut the mile with Take All Comers (Creatine) and driver Jordan Stratton getting the two-hole trip and Nows The Moment (Scott Zeron) racing in third place.

Stormy Kromer cut fractions of :28 and :57.2 before Zeron came first-over with Nows The Moment in the backstretch. The three-quarters went in 1:25.4.

Nows The Moment gained ground on the final turn and was in second place, Take All Comers found room for Stratton in the stretch and came on to win by a half a length in 1:54.4. Stormy Kromer beat out Nows The Moment in a photo for place.

TAKE ALL COMERS REPLAY

It was the fourth win in just seven starts this year for Take All Comers. The five-year-old gelding is trained by Jim Campbell for the Runthetable Stables, who bred him with Chelsea Batelli. He paid $3.80 to win.

The 9^th race $36,000 co-feature 3-5-Year-Old Open Pace also scratched down to a four-horse field.

Race favorite Southwind Petyr (Tyler Buter) was first on the lead off the starting gate with R J Sports Image (Rockin Image) and driver Jordan Stratton getting the two-hole spot as they raced to the first quarter in :27 and the half mile in :56.4.

Then Greg The Leg came first-over from third place but failed to gain any ground at the three-quarters in 1:24.3. Then in a torrid stretch drive to the wire, RJ Sports Image eked by Southwind Petyr to win by a nose in 1:52.4 with Hazeville (Scott Zeron) third by just a neck.

RJ SPORTS IMAGE REPLAY

It was the fifth win in nine starts this year for RJ Sports Image. The five-year-old gelding is trained by Per Engblom for FAC Racing, LLC and paid $13.40 to win.

Tony Beltrami powered home with Red Overbach (Royalty For Life) and Andrew Adamczyk capitalized off a pocket ride with Call Me Thefireman to win their respective $10,000 divisions of the second preliminary for the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) Fall Series on Thursday night (Aug. 31) at Yonkers Raceway.

In the 6th race first division, Tony Beltrami landed last of the quintet with 9-5 second choice Red Overbach as Classy Guy (driven by Yogi Sheridan) protected position from the pylons to grab the lead. Classy Guy cut a :28.4 first quarter and snagged a stark breather to the half in 1:01.1, where Beltrami got underway along the rim with Red Overbach.

Beltrami worked to keep Red Overbach straight up the backside as Sheridan called upon Classy Guy for more to three-quarters in 1:30.4. But once Red Overbach hit the homestretch, he motored by and clear to a length victory as Turbochargedpete (Joe Faraldo) vacated pocket and fired home for second. Classy Guy settled for third and What A Pittstop (Alan Schwartz) finished fourth.

Paul Fusco trains Red Overbach, a 4-year-old gelding, for owners J M F Racing LLC and Peter Fusco Racing LLC. He paid $5.90 to win.

After getting away last from the outermost post in the first division, Tony Beltrami hustled from the outermost post in the other NAADA division to take control with All Rise to a :28.1 first quarter. Andrew Adamczyk secured the pocket with Call Me Thefireman (Wishing Stone) and stayed put through middle fractions of :59.3 and 1:29 while Fun Time Charlie (Scott Keppler) mounted a floundering challenge first over.

Call Me Thefireman swelled off the pocket ride and launched for home to down All Rise while holding off a late charge from Sheena Soldier (James Slendorn) to win by a neck in 1:59.4. All Rise held third and 9-5 favorite Drazzmatazz (Yogi Sheridan) recovered from a break at the start to take fourth.

Anthony Verruso owns Call Me Thefireman, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Andrew Adamczyk. He paid $5.80 to win.

The NAADA Fall Series continues with a total of 10 preliminaries before the final on Thursday, Nov. 9 at Yonkers Raceway. Yonkers is slated to host the next round of the Fall Series next Thursday (Sept. 7) with first-race post time at 7 p.m. (EDT).

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink