Feelin Red Hot captured the $35,000 feature harness racing pace at Yonkers Raceway on Wednesday with an extended brush and crush maneuver.
George Brennan slid the mare into third from post six going into the first turn and followed the top two through the first quarter mile in :27.1 and half in :56.3. He swung Feelin Red Hot to the two-path as the field of eight traveled past the grandstand, and she exploded in the open air. Feelin Red Hot passed the pocketed Sports Flix (Brent Holland) in a matter of strides and had a neck in front previous leader Lovely Donna (Jason Bartlett) by the time they entered the backstretch.
Feelin Red Hot struggled to clear a defiant Lovely Donna though, only doing so after passing the three-quarter pole in 1:23.2. Once Feelin Red Hot acquired front end control, the mare edged away to a two-length cushion and paced evenly to the finish to seal her victory in 1:52.
Sports Flix took place, and Giaās Surreal (Scott Zeron) flew from last at the head of the stretch to third by the finish. The winner paid $12.20.
FEELIN RED HOT REPLAY
Feelin Red Hot now holds a record of 42-for-146 lifetime and more than $730,000 in career earnings. Ron Burke trains the eight-year-old daughter of Feelin Friskie for his Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg.
Jossie James A went wire-to-wire in the sub-featured $32,000 Preferred Pace through fractions of :27.3, :56.4, and 1:24.1, completing the one-and-a-half-length score in 1:52.2 with Daniel Dube at the lines.
Waltzwithsierra A (Zeron) finished second, and Classy Chapel N (Brennan) was third. The win price was $8.40.
JOSSIE JAMES A REPLAY
Jossie James earned her 25th career win with the performance and increased her lifetime bankroll to more than $215,000. The eight-year-old Big Jim mare is trained and owned by Gilberto Garcia-Herrera of Columbus (NJ).
Yonkers Raceway finishes its raceweek on Friday, Jun. 18 with a 12-dash program highlighted by a $42,000 Open Handicap. First post is listed as 7:15 p.m. EDT.
For full race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink