Hannah Isabel, Y F Little Guy score at Yonkers

Hannah Isabel (Cat Manzi), Y F Little Guy (Jim Pantaleano) and Mother Nature (no help needed) led Yonkers Raceway's Friday night festivities.

 

After a weather delay, "Hannah" put on her best rain garb and went the distance in the co-featured $42,500 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

 

Leaving from post position No. 5, she worked around Cheyenne Trish (Brent Holland) and led though intervals of :28, :57.3, 1:25.2 and a season's-best 1:53.2. Little Mermaid N (Pantaleano) moved first-up, with 11-10 favorite Shacked Up (Jason Bartlett)--who left for a seat--in behind. However, Little Mermaid N could never get close to the leader.

 

"Hannah" had a 2 1/2-length lead on her sisters turning for home, before winning by a comfy length-and-a-half

 

Shacked Up photoed Little Mermaid N for second, with Symphony in Motion (Jeff Gregory) and Sherri on Ice (Eric Goodell) earning the minor spoils.

 

For Hannah Isabel, a 5-year-old daughter of Bettor's Delight trained by Marthe Drolet for co-owners Marilyn and Heiman Gross, she returned $8.50 (second choice) for her fifth win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $27, with the triple returning $97.

 

Friday night's co-featured $42,500 Open Handicap Trot Y F Little Guy--beating only a breaker early--pass 'em all en route to a 25-1 upset.

 

Leaving from the always-popular eight-hole, Y F Little Guy was ahead of misbehaving invader Lubbock (Jordan Stratton) while Shoeless White Sox (Gregory), Master Pine (Bartlett) and Hurrikanebiggeorge (Stephane Bouchard) all took turns with the throttle.

 

However, swift fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:26.1 had made the leaders vulnerable. Y F Little Guy--angling out after slipping in between rivals down the backside only to find no room at the inn --moved from sixth entering the lane.

 

He went on to defeat Hurrikanebiggeorge by a length in 1:55.4, with Summertime Yankee (Matt Kakaley) completing the ticket, while Lady in the Wind (Cat Manzi) and Pembroke Prayer (Holland) rounded out the payees.

 

For Y F Little Guy, a 7-year-old Shilling gelding trained by Lou Pena for KDM Stables, he returned $52 (seventh choice) for his eighth win in 24 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $283, with the triple returning $2,264. (Yonkers)