Yonkers: Eliminations held for L.B. Sheppard Pace

Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday night (July 6th) card offered a look into the future. A trio of $25,000 eliminations for the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace saw 18 (after one defection) 2-year-olds (17 colts and one gelding) vie for an invite to next Saturday night’s (July 13th) $120,250 finale.

Columbo (Eric Goodell, $26.60), from post position three, won the fastest of the elims, sitting the loosest of pockets as lone gelding Freedom Warrior (Jordan Stratton) was a wild horse…as defined by runaway intervals of 27 1/5, 54 4/5, and 1:23 4/5.

Columbo predictably closed ranks and went by, winning by a length and a quarter in a purse-debuting 1:54. Freedom Warrior held second, while a steppy 3-4 choice Hunter Hill (Tyler Buter) found his best stride late for third.

For fourth choice Columbo, a son of Sweet Lou owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Gareth Dowse, he led exotics of $164 (exacta), $339.50 (triple), and $1,181 (superfecta).

The other elims were won by…

--American Rebel (by American Ideal); co-owners (trainer) Rob Harmon and Robert Robinson/driver Stratton; (first life win) 1:57 1/5 / $8.30;

--Save Me A Dance (by Heston Blue Chip): owner Robert Key/trainer Andrew Harris/driver Jason Bartlett; (life-best) 1:55 2/5 / $6.40.

The eight finalists include the three elimination winners plus Freedom Warrior, Han Solo, Hunter Hill, Level Up, and Manticore. The open draw for the Sheppard Pace takes place on Monday afternoon (July 8th).

--press release (Yonkers)--