Inca takes Yonkers' Open

A lot of things worked in Allamerican Inca’s favor in Saturday night's $35,000 Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers Raceway and, in honor of daylight savings time, he sprung ahead at just the right time.

Leaving from post three after an inside judges' scratch (George At Bigs), Inca and driver Jim Pantaleano watched early as Santastics Pan (Greg Grismore), last week's winner Shadows Best Buddy (Larry Stalbaum) and Our Galvinator A (Steve Smith) exchanged three-deep pleasantries through a nasty :27.1 opening quarter-mile.

Coming out the second turn, Shadows Best Buddy, who rarely leaves the gate, apparently expressed his displeasure, because he broke. Also misbehaving was Flight Sign (Stephane Bouchard). Shadow recovered to challenge Our Galvinator A after a 56-second half, with Santastics Pan perched in the pocket.

All the while, Allamerican Inca had secured a place third along the pylons. Moving toward the 1:25.1 three-quarters, Our Galvinator A dispensed with the first-over Shadows Best Buddy, but John Adams (Eric Goodell) was launching a menacing bid from the back of the bus.

Our Galvinator A clung to a tenuous lead cornering for the cash, but he was about to be swallowed up by John Adams. Allamerican Inca slid off the cones and, as the fresh threat, went on by everyone, edging away to defeat John Adams in 1:54.2. Santastics Pan was third, with Our Galvinator A and Shadows Best Buddy also making money.

Allamerican Inca, owned by Adam Victor and Son Stable and trained Noel Daley, was recording his first victory in six seasonal starts.

"He's a one-run horse," Pantaleano said. "There have been opportunities for him to win since he's been here (four starts), but he just hasn't. Tonight, they battled up front, and even though I had to check him a bit when (Flight Sign) broke, he was very strong."

One race after the Open, in a $30,000 winners-over event, Special Report (Stalbaum) busted out with a down-the-road-from-an-eight-hole mile in 1:51.3. It was the fastest effort since the Raceway re-opened for business last November and a new track standard for aged geldings.

Saturday night's second round of the Sagamore Hill Pacing Series for 3 and 4-year-old colts and geldimgs went as six, $12,500 divisions, with the big bucks going to:

--Northern Scholar,g,4 (by Full Scholarship); owner Martin Scharf/trainer Mark Ford/driver Bouchard; 1:55.2
--Dealing Magic,4 (by Western Ideal); owner David McDuffee/trainer Peter Walsh/driver Bouchard; (first '07 victory) 1:54
--Paradise Willie,g,4 (by Artsplace); co-owners Dennis & Simone Noud/trainer Bert Belanger/driver Bouchard; (first '07 victory) 1:56.4
--Keystone Resident, co-owner Burke, Darby's Edge Stb, DiScala, M1 Stb/trainer Mickey Burke/driver Grismore; (season's-best) 1:55.3
--Slickest Hanover,4 (by Western Ideal); owner Scharf/trainer Ford/driver Bouchard; 1:54.4
--Category Six,g,4 (by Western Hanover); co-owners Umholtz Racing, Umholtz, Kennedy Sports/trainer Ron Coyne Jr./driver Pantaleano; 1:53.4. (Yonkers)

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