Code Word wins Yonkers Open for Burke

Code Word (Jason Bartlett) was left to his own devices and made 'em pay Saturday night, easily winning Yonkers Raceway's $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Leaving from post position four, Code Word had no issues getting around inside assignee McDynamite (Brent Holland) and making the lead. A pair of tepid :28.1 quarters (:56.2 half) gave Code Word the upper hoof before River Shark (Pat Lachance) tried it first-up, while even-money favorite Blatantly Good (George Brennan) was behind that one.

However, Code Word threw in a :27.1 third interval (1:23.2 three-quarters), losing both the pocket-sitter and the uncovered foe at the same time. Now up 4½ lengths turning for home, Code Word widened to six lengths at the wire, which he found in 1:51.3. PH Jackpot (Jim Pantaleano) won the scrum for second, with Blatantly Good, McDynamite and Aussie Reactor A (Jordan Stratton) grabbing the leftovers.

For Code Word, a 5-year-old son of Western Terror co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Frank Baldachino, Weaver Bruscemi and Lawrence Karr, he returned $10.20 (third choice) for his eighth win in 24 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $122, with the triple returning $528.  (Yonkers Raceway)

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