Three-wide move gets 17-1 longshot home

Brushing three-wide in the backstretch, 17-1 Moonshine Kisses was full of pace and had just enough to gun down Pyro in winning the $43,000 Open-Handicap Pace at Yonkers Raceway Monday.

The 10^th race feature began with driver Daniel Dube sending Pyro out to the early lead and was stung getting by Diamond Beach (Tyler Buter) to a quick opening quarter mile in :26.4.

As the field approached the half mile, race favorite Funatthebeach N (Jordan Stratton) came first-over giving Moonshine Kisses and driver Joe Bongiorno what looked to be good live second-over cover past the half in :54.3.

Funatthebeach N was not moving forward first-over in the backstretch and Bongiorno wasted no time taking Moonshine Kisses three-wide. It took them until the three-quarters in 1:22.2 to clear to the first-over and then on the final turn started to come after pacesetter Pyro.

In a torrid stretch drive between the two horses, Moonshine Kisses still had enough left to finish the mile a neck better than Pyro in 1:51.1. Diamond Beach was third.

MOONSHINE BEACH REPLAY

It was the first time that Bongiorno had ever driven Moonshine Kisses. It was the ninth win this year for the five-year-old stallion by Sunshine Beach. He is trained by Jackie Greene and owned by the Kellogg Racing Stable of Queensbury, NY and paid $37.40 to win.

For full race results, click here.

By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink