Three weeks out and first-up were no problem for Fat Man's Alley (Matt Kakaley) Saturday night, as evidenced by winning Yonkers Raceway's $33,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Taking it all in early from post position 4, "Fat Man" watched as a three-wide Dancin' Yankee (Jason Bartlett) worked around Pan from Nantucket (Eric Goodell) before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile. It was a :56.1 intermission as Fat Man's Alley was commencing his first of March march from sixth. However, he was just pacing in place by the 1:24.1 three-quarters, as Dancin' Yankee took a length-and—a-half lead into the lane. It was off the final turn that Fat Man's Alley received the memo, and he went on by. The margin was a neck in 1:52.3, with Pan from Nantucket, Lumberjack Willie (Jordan Stratton) rounding out the payees. American Rage (Brian Sears), the 19-10 favorite, was a non-factor seventh.
For Fat Man's Alley, a 6-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding owned by Bamond Racing and trained by PJ Fraley, he returned $15.60 (sixth choice) for his second win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $77, with the triple returning $308.50. (Yonkers)
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