3 straight for Keep It Real at Yonkers

Yonkers Raceway's Saturday feature saw Keep It Real (Jim Pantaleano, five winners on the card) keep it perfect, winning the $37,000 Open Handicap Pace for a third consecutive local victory.

 

Ordered outside his seven rivals as the 11-10 favorite, Keep It Real left for a seat and settled fourth.  Forensic Z Tam (Pat Lachance) worked his way to the lead just after a spirited :26.4 opening quarter-mile.

 

As the :55.2 intermission came and went, Keep It Real was on the move. He engaged a stubborn leader after the 1:23.1 three-quarters, with Forensic Z Tam clinging the narrowest of advantages. However, Keep It  Real wore  down that foe, then held off the onrushing Giddy Up Lucky (Jason Bartlett) by the slimmest of schnozzes in 1:52, matching a season's-best. Psilvuheartbreaker (Cat Manzi), Days of Courage N (Stephane Bouchard) and Ghee's House (Jordan Stratton) completed the cashers.

 

For Keep It Real, a 4-year-old Real Artist gelding trained by Lou Pena for co-owners JL Benson and KDM Stables, he returned $4.20 for his fifth win in 11 seasonal starts. Pena trained all but one of Pantaleano's winners. The exacta paid $26.60, with the triple returning $98. (Yonkers Raceway)