Lightning Treasure And Dan Dube
Lightning Treasure and harness racing driver Dan Dube made it look simple from the eight-hole Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $38,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
In play early, Lightning Treasure moved around Quicksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum) before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile. She then stole a :30.2 second quarter (:57.3 half), forcing first-up, 4-5 fave Pancleefandarpels (George Brennan) to chase. After a 1:26 three-quarters, Lightning Treasure opened a 2 3/4-length lead turning for home. She found a 1:53.4 mile marker, and was never threatened in 2:01 for the mile-and-one-sixteenth. Pancleefandarpels was a best-of-the-rest second–beaten 3 1/4 lengths–with Best Boss (Pat Lachance), Summer Snow (Jordan Stratton) and Ramona Disomma (Jason Bartlett) grabbing the remainder,
For Lightning Treasure, a 6-year-old daughter of Western Ideal , trained by Keith Armer for Lightning Stable, she returned $18.80 (fifth choice) for her eighth win (second consecutive) in 28 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $40.60, with the triple returning $226.
Gurf and Yannick Gingras
Friday night’s co-featured $38,000 Open Handicap Trot was a two-speed, form number with 6-5 favorite Gurf (Yannick Gingras) holding off second choice KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) in an added-distance 2:04.
Leaving from post position No. 4, Gurf reclaimed from his rival right at the :28.2 opening quarter. He then found a soft :58.2 half and 1:27.4 three-quarters, with longshot Reigning Dough (Jim Doherty) moving weakly first-over. Entering the lane, Gurf–after a 1:56.3 mile–needed to only hold off KLM Express. The former, kept to his task, beat the latter by a half-length. Hurrikanebiggeorge (Dube), Libra Vita (Brennan) and Rose Run Hooligan (Stratton) picked off the small change.
For the formful Gurf, a 6-year-old Self Possessed gelding owned by David Neilson and trained by Rosemary Smutz, he returned $4.40 for his ninth win (three in a row) in 38 ’11 tries. The exacta paid $15.60, the triple returned $64.50 and the superfecta paid $219.50
Yonkers’ regular five-night-per-week schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) remains in effect. First post for all racing programs is 7:10 PM. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule. (Yonkers Raceway)