BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, April 17, 2015—Yonkers
Raceway Friday night hosted the fifth and final preliminary round of the Blue
Chip Matchmaker of Open Pacing Mares.
One lonesome, $40,000 division attracted
six lasses, with odds-on Camille (George Brennan, $3) barely holding sway over
Krispy Apple (Tim Tetrick) in 1:53.
The former, starting inside her five
foes, saw both Palm Patrol (Mark MacDonald) and Krispy Apple in play early,
with Krispy Apple looping Palm Patrol to make the first lead.
It was Camille then finding front before a 28-second opening quarter-mile, then
a :56.4 intermission. For the Ladies N (Brian Sears) tried it from third,
engaging the leader in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters.
However, Camille rejected those
advances, taking a three-quarter length lead into the lane. She then
encountered a passing-lance Krispy Apple, with the second choice missing a
scant schnozz. Strings (Eric Carlson) wound up third as the 67-1 rank outsider.
For Camille, a 7-year-old daughter of
Camluck co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, M1
Stable and Jack Piatt III, is was her third win in eight seasonal starts
(2-for-4 in series). The exacta paid $4, with the triple returning $23.80
It should be noted that the first three
leading ladies through four Matchmaker rounds—Carolisideal, Venus Delight and
Yagonnakissmeornot—all took this week off, their invites to the final
solidified.
They are to be joined next week by Camille, Monkey on My Wheel, Fancy Desire,
Krispy Apple and Strings.
The finals of both the Blue Chip
Matchmaker (purse $261,000) and George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series
(purse $529,000) go Saturday night, Apr. 25.
The Raceway’s live season continues
Saturday night (post time 7:10 PM), with the fifth and final prelim round
(three, $50,000 divisions) of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series.
After that, it’s Monday (7:10 PM), a French-centric Tuesday (1 PM, third round
of YR/SOA of NY Bonus Trotting Series), then Thursday through Saturday (all at
7:10 PM). Note Sunday matinees are done until November. Evening simulcasting
accompanies all night programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily.
