Warrior One grinds out Open Trot victory

Warrior One (Father Patrick) was in prime form Thursday (April 27) at Yonkers Raceway as harness racing owner and driver Yannick Gingras kept the seven-year-old gelding alive first-over in capturing the $36,000 co-feature Open-Handicap trot.

The 3^rd race started off with Credit Con (Joe Bongiorno) scooting to the early lead with Mississippi Storm (Brent Holland) in the two-hole spot to the opening quarter mile in :27.3.

That was when Gingras came first-over with Warrior One as Hey Livvy (Jordan Stratton) followed second-over and Credit Con cut the mile to the half in :57.1.

Warrior One stayed game on the outside as Credit Con led past the three-quarters in 1:25.1. Credit Con was still in command of the race off the final turn and starting down the stretch, but Warrior One would not go away, collaring Credit Con at the wire to win by a neck in 1:55. No Mas Drama (Jim Marohn, Jr) closed well in the stretch to be third.

WARRIOR ONE REPLAY

It was the third win this year for Warrior One, who is trained by Ron Burke for owner Yannick Gingras. Warrior One paid $11.20 to win.

In the 5^th race $36,000 3-5-year-old Open Pace, Southwind Petyr (American Ideal) and driver Joe Bongiorno were able to come first-over against pacesetter Kingsville (George Brennan) and beat them to the wire.

Kingsville cut the mile to the quarter in :26.3 and the half mile in :55.3 with Kootenay Santanna (Yannick Gingras) getting the two-hole trip with Southwind Petyr sitting third on the wood.

Then in the backstretch, Bongiorno came first-over with Southwind Petyr against Kingsville and was in second on the outside at the three-quarters in 1:23.2.

Those two raced neck and neck on the final turn and then in the stretch, Southwind Petyr was able to wear down Kingsville and go on to win by one length in 1:51.3. Kingsville held for second place with Pleaseletmeknow (Jordan Stratton) third.

SOUTHWIND PETYR REPLAY

Southwind Petyr scored his third win of the season for trainer Jenn Bongiorno, who co-owns the five-year-old gelding with Ben Mondello. The race favorite paid $4.20 to win.

Joe Faraldo fired Turbochargedpete (Uncle Peter) from the center of the gate to the top and kept all his competitors behind to register a 2:01 victory in the $10,000 North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) Trot before the pari-mutuel card.

Leaving from post 5, Faraldo landed Turbochargedpete to the fore heading to a :30.2 first quarter with Judge Ken (driven by Robert Krivelin) pushing from the pylons for the pocket.

Turbochargedpete continued uncontested to a 1:01.1 half and braced for a first-over blitz from Kasha’s Boy (Alan Schwartz) to three-quarters in 1:30.4.

Spinning for home, Turbochargedpete repelled the challenge from Kasha’s Boy and withstood a late charge from Wicked Nick (Michelle Crawford) late to win by three-quarter lengths. Kasha’s Boy settled for third and Dark Pool (Tony Beltrami) finished fourth.

Scott Di Domenico trains the six-year-old gelding Turbochargedpete.

NAADA action is slated to continue next Wednesday (May 3) for a preliminary at Monticello Raceway.

For complete race results, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink, and Ray Cotolo, for NAADA