BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, April 28, 2012—Rocklamation (Yannick Gingras) worked out
a perfect trip and took advantage Saturday night, winning the $297,000 final of
Yonkers Raceway's Blue Chip Matchmaker for Open pacing mares.
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| Rocklamations winning the Blue Chip Matchmaker Pacing Series Final (Photo by Mike Lizzi) |
As expected, See You at Peelers (Brian Sears) controlled from the pole as the
3-5 favorite, seating everyone--save for a parked-out Chancey Lady (Andy
Miller) well before a :26.4 opening quarter-mile. Rocklamation, leaving from
post position No. 2, protected the pocket. "Peelers" then found a
:55.3 half (:284 second quarter) before Anndrovette (Tim Tetrick) pulled from
third.
In a battle of New York-breds, See You at Peelers was getting all she could
handle from Anndrovette in and out of the 1:23.2 three-quarters.
"Peelers" was up a desperate nose turning for home, but that was her last hurrah this night. Anndrovette powered past, but she was not out of the woods. Rocklamation left the cones, as nothing was advancing behind Anndrovette.
Rocklamation--who won last season's Lady Maud here--edged by late, winning by a half-length in a stakes-record 1:51.3...also a track record for her age.
Anndrovette was a game second, with Ginger and Fred (Jason Bartlett) third. Fox Valley Sage (Cat Manzi) and Western Silk (George Brennan) grabbed the minor moolah, with Billmar Scooter (Eric Goodell), See You at Peelers and Chancey Lady rounding out the rundown.
For Rocklamation, a 4-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover trained by Ron Burke for co-owners Our Horse Cents Stables, Stable 45 and Jerry Silva, she (coupled with Ginger and Fred) returned $12 (third choice) for her fifth win in nine seasonal starts.
The exacta paid $42.80, with the triple (Fox Valley Sage third for this wager) returning $607.
"The trip was great," Gingras said. "When I saw Anndrovette going by, I was able to slip out and it worked out for us. I've driven her over the Meadowlands, and I know how talented she is."
As for See You at Peelers, she picked a bad night to have a bad night, losing in Westchester for the first time in 10 career starts.
"She put up some pretty good numbers, but she should have done better than where she ended up," Sears said. “Hopefully, she came out of the race alright.”
