Yonkers $149,240 final of the Hudson Filly Trot

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, August 29, 2015–"I told (driver) Jason (Bartlett), 'Just get the same trip as last week.' " Bartlett obliged as harness racing trainer Chuck Sylvester asked Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $149,240 final of the Hudson Filly Trot with a pocket-sitting Murderer's Row ($8.50) in a season's-best 1:56.3.

A week after skimming the cones to win her elimination (at 11-1), the 3-year-old daughter of Donato Hanover and Housethatruthbuilt offered an encore in the sport's richest race of the evening.

With tepid, 2-1 choice (and other elim winner) Bright Baby Blues (Brian Sears) making a break while looking for an eight-hole seat, Lady Winona (Andy Miller) made the lead. Murderer's Row, starting in one notch from "Winona" at the pylons, settled in behind.

Only five lasses remained in contention after Katniss (George Brennan) and Marion Millionair (Yannick Gingras) also misbehaved. Lady Winona led through substations of :28.2, :58.1, 1:27.4, getting heat from a three-hole vacating Scented Roses (Ake Svanstedt).

That one couldn't sustain her bid, but "Winona" couldn't stall Murderer's Row. The latter angled in and won a protracted stretch battle by a nose. Third went to Scented Roses, barely holding off a closing Wouldn't Itbesweet (Larry Stalbaum), while Oh My Darlin' (Dan Dube)–stablemate to the third-place finisher–earned the last pay envelope.

For fourth choice "Murderer's," co-owned by Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey and Ted Gewertz, it was her second (consecutive) win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $28.40, with the triple returning $62.50.

"Quite frankly, she's been a disappointment," Sylvester said of the pre-Hudson seasonal maiden. "I wasn't sure she could step up, but she did."

Murderer's Row's dam, Housethatruthbuilt, won this race in 2004 when it was contest at Hawthorne. The lone big-track edition of the Hudson resulted in the stakes record of 1:53.4.