YR mare feature to Coleman's Keeper's Destiny

Yonkers Raceway's pair of Friday night, $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps--for distaff pacers and trotters of all ranks and files--were won by a down-the-road Keeper's Destiny (George Brennan, $6.10) and a pocket-sitting Looking Hanover (Brian Sears, $4).

 

In play from what became penultimate post position No. 6 (the results of an eight-hole defection), Keeper's Destiny made the lead around Quicksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum) before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile.

 

From there, a :56.4 intermission before even-money favorite Krispy Apple (Sears)--who had wedged into an early five-hole--was out and moving. She turned up the volume in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters, but Krispy Apple was not in a giving mood.She rebuffed the people's choice from that point, winning a match race through the lane by a neck in 1:53.2. Third went to a closing Don't Blame Her (Joe Bongiorno), with Quicksilvercandy A and Argument Hanover (Jason Bartlett) picking at the post-holiday leftovers.

 

For second choice Keeper's Destiny, a 6-year-old daughter of Intrepid Seelster owned by Merlin Howse and trained by Casie Coleman (also the co-breeders), it was her eighth win in 27 seasonal starts (career cash now over $513,000. The exacta paid $14, with the triple returning $38.

 

The week's featured trot saw Aisling (Brennan) two-move to the lead and throw down seemingly-comfy intervals of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:26.3. Looking Hanover was perched in the two-hole from post No. 5, while Mystical Starlight tried it first-up from sixth. Entering the lane, Aisling had a length-and-a-half lead, but could not close the sale. Looking Hanover ducked in and prevailed, winning by a half-length in 1:56.

 

It was a heater for second between a tiring Aisling and a cone-skimming, 32-1 rank outsider Rookie Mistake (Cat Manzi), with Mystical Starlight and Celebrity Bluechip (Bartlett) grabbing the remainder. 

 

For favored Looking Hanover, a 7-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding trained by Edwin Gannon Jr. for co-owners Dawn Marie Gannon and Yannick Gingras, it was his third win in 21 '12 starts. The exactas paid $29 (Rookie Mistake second) and $8.40 (Aisling second), the triples returned $117.50 ("Rookie' second, Aisling third) and $76.50 (Aisling second, "Rookie" third) and the superfectas paid $638 and $348 (again, with Rookie Mistake second and Aisling third). (Yonkers)