Old-Timers Night when 90-year-old Dobkowski seeks 2 straight with 14-yo pacer

As the remnants of the weekend snowstorm have been cleared from Empire City Casino’s historic half mile harness oval, “Old Timers Night” will return to Yonkers Raceway on Thursday evening(January 28) when 90-year-old trainer Carl Dobkowski and his 14-year-old wonder pacerSakra Fella will try to continue their Ponce de Leon-type journey in the night’s opening race. First post is at 7:10 PM when Sakra goes behind the starting gate.

The “Fountain of Youth” duo scored the major upset win last Tuesday (January 19) when Sakra and the Stormville, NY, conditioner teamed for a $66.50 payoff with youngsterScott Zeron, a mere 26-years-old, in the bike. The Dobkowski-Sakra dynamic duo is believed to be the oldest trainer-horse victory in Yonkers history.

Here’s the field for the Yonkers opener on Thursday night, a field of eight $12,500 claimers going for a purse of $6,500, with Sakra drawing the not-so-easy post position seven:

1 LATE NITE FLIGHT, Jason Bartlett; 2 WISHFORABEACHOUSE, George Brennan; 3 BABINGA WOOD, Daniel Dube; 4 HOT RODDY, Jason Bartlett; 5 TRIPLE MAJOR, Mark Kakaley; 6 SLY RULER, Mark MacDonald; 7 SAKRA FELLA, Scott Zeron; 8 DASH N, Tyler Buter.

February 20 marks Dobkowski’s 91st birthday, and the ageless conditioner hopes for an early celebration. When asked the best thing about being 90, the Brooklyn-born conditioner jokingly replied: “You can get away with murder.”

The full Q and A is below:

1. Q: When did you start in harness racing? A: “I started in a young age. I just came across it and I settled in. I used to be a driver. I was a driver for 35 years. I prefer driving. Driving is the best.”
2. Q: How did it feel to pull of the upset last Tuesday? A: “Sensational. I had faith we could win.”
3. Q: What is the best horse you ever trained? A: “This one here (Sakra Fella). He has won a lot of races”
4. Q: You have a one horse stable. What is the biggest you ever had? A: “Me and my wife once had a five horse stable.”
5. Q: What has kept you in harness racing all this time?A: “Making money. The best part is developing horses. To buy one that has never raced, teach it to race and see it win, it is a great satisfaction.”
6. Q: What do you have in mind to celebrate your 91st birthday? A: “Nothing yet, I am working it out”
7. Q: What is the best thing about being 90? A: “You can get away with murder,”‎ he said jokingly. “It is nice.”
8. Q: How has the world changed since the 40s and 50s?A: “It is more scientific now. I prefer the time back then.”
9. Q: How long have you lived in Stormville/Dutchess County/What is your favorite thing about the area? A: “A couple of years. It is nice and quiet. It is good.”
10. Q: Where are you originally from? A: “I was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I lived in Hopewell, NJ for a long time. It was a nice and beautiful time. I had a golf course right there.”

More on Sakra Fella: Gelded son of Pacific Fella…scored by three-quarters of a length over the 2-5 favored Arthur last week…wins was timed in 1:58 for the mile…is now 2-for-3 in his final year of racing after going winless the past two seasons…Fourteen is the mandatory retirement age for a harness racehorse…Sakra hadn’t won more than two races in a year since 1978…veteran warrior has been racing since 2005, a year prior to Yonkers Raceway’s Empire City Casino slot machine era, which began in 2006…last week’s win was his 20th in his 180th career start, good for $298,902 in lifetime earnings.