Yonkers open to John Adams

The second president was second to none Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway as John Adams won the $35,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:54.1. Leaving alertly from post position three--after consecutive eight holes--John Adams avoided an incident at the outset that took out the two horses directly to his inside.

Ithinki'msomebody (James Marohn) suffered a broken line, badly impeding the inside horse, Pacific Playboy (Jim Taggart Jr.), and eventually tossing driver Marohn. Marohn was not seriously hurt and both Ithinki'msomebody and Pacific Playoby were rightfully declared non-starters.

Meanwhile, John Adams put up early fractions of :28.3 and :57.1. Allamerican Inca (Jim Pantaleano) was perched in the pocket, while the hard-trying Shadow's Best Buddy (Larry Stalbaum) was again forced to forge first-over. All the while, 1-2 favorite Fake Denario N (Stephane Bouchard), invading and enrapturing the public after four consecutive sub-1:51 victories out of town, was sizing up his chances third-over.

John Adams threw in a :27.4 third quarter and owned a length lead entering the lane. He lasted by half that margin over Allamerican Inca in 1:54.1, with Shadow's Best Buddy a grinding third. Fly Fly Buckeye (Greg Grismore)--totally empty for the second consecutive week off another dream trip--wound up fourth, while Fake Denario N was a non-factor fifth.

For John Adams, a 5-year-old Cam's Card Shark gelding, it was his second victory in four seasonal starts. Erv Miller trains the winner for co-owners Neptune and MJG Racing Stables.

The winner returned $8.20. Appropriately, the second president was the second choice. The exacta paid $51.50, with the triple worth $131. (Yonkers Raceway press release)

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