Red Hot Herbie Heats Up Yonkers Raceway in2026 Opening Day Feature

Red Hot Herbie put the heat on Yonkers Raceway-s half mile oval and eight foes on a sub-freezing Sunday afternoon to win the 2017 opening day feature, a $75,000 Open Handicap Trot at a mile and a quarter. A ski-masked leading driver Jason Bartlett picked up right where he left off in 2016, leaving the octet of elite trotters in the dust, er snow, en route to a length and three-quarter score over Springbank Sam N. and Jordan Stratton, stopping the clock in 2:27:3. Red Hot Herbie returned $10.80 to win in the added distance feature, the first of seven ?French forays? scheduled for Sunday afternoons at Empire City Casino-s famed harness oval. Tweet Me and Pat Lachance carved out the modest early fractions of :29.4, :59.1, and 1:29.1 to the three-quarter mile with Herbie literally sitting chilly. Then ?Maine Man? Bartlett pulled out of the pocket to challenge at the 1:57.3 mile marker and pulled away to victory. The seven-year-old Here Comes Herbie gelding is co-owned by trainer Rene Allard, Bruce Soulsby and Edward Reppucci. Yonkers continues its five- night a week schedule on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays with first post at 7:10 PM. Post time for the remaining two January Sunday matinees on the 15th and 29th are TBA.