BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, March 25,
2016—Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker continued Friday night.
It was “second verse same as the first,”
with three consecutive, $40,000 divisions comprising the encore round.
The evening’s opening event saw Sell a Bit
N (Jordan Stratton, $5.50) take full advantage of a rare good starting station.
In play from post position No. 4, she held sway (:27.3, :56.3, 1:24.3, 1:52.1).
Pylon-procuring Request for Parole
(Yannick Gingras) chased around the oval, ducked inside and missed a neck,
while Mach it a Par (George Brennan), last week’s 39-1 upsetter, was third
after a hard challenge down the backside.
Venus Delight (Jason Bartlett), the
wagering favorite by a mere $30, wound up a non-threatening fourth.
For slight second choice Sell a Bit N, a
6-year-old Down Under daughter of Julius Caesar owned by Harry von Knoblauch and
trained by Peter Tritton, it was her first win in five seasonal starts.
The exacta paid $26.40, with the triple returning $87.
Friday’s second Matchmaker event had
Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube, $5.70), as the second choice, do it from
first-up. Away third from post No. 2, she saw season-debuting Anndrovette (Tim
Tetrick) and 11-10 choice Skippin’ By (Gingras) take early turns (:27.2,
:56.2).
When “Yagonna” first moved off the cones
nearing the 1:24.3 three-quarters, she didn’t appear all that interested.
Skippin’ By owned a length-and-a-half into the lane before Yagonnakissmeornot
read the memo. She surged past late, winning by a neck in 1:53.3.
Anndrovette, probably a bit short, was a
passing-land third, beaten a half-length,
For Yagonnakissmeornot, a 7-year-old
daughter of The Panderosa co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard,
Yves Sarazin and Kapildeo Singh, it was her first win in three ’16
starts. The exacta paid $10, with the triple returning $38.60.
The night’s final series event
was won by an off-the-pace Al Raza N (Stratton, $8.60), who had some
numbers to “run at” and did just that.
As was the case a week ago, Al Raza N was
content to spectate early. She watched as Krispy Apple (Bartlett) and 13-10
choice Lady Shadow (Corey Callahan) were both sent out (:26.4, :55.2).as the
rest of the lasses gapped behind them.
Secrets Out N (Brian Sears) did close
ranks from third and move to challenge, but never came close. Delightful Dragon
(Brent Holland) gapped that one badly in and out of the 1:23.2 three-quarters,
which did no favors for the eventual winner.
Al Raza N, sitting seventh and racing from
third-over, launched her bid before the final turn. She was fifth entering the
lane, but just powered by. The final margin was a length-and-a-quarter in
1:52.1, matching her life-best. It was Krispy Apple nosing a tiring Lady Shadow
for second, with a from-last Regil Elektra (Tetrick) and Delightful Dragon
settling for the remainder.
For third choice Al Raza N, a 6-year-old
Down Under daughter of Gotta Go Cullect owned by Durazzano Stable and trained
by Agostino Abbatiello, it was her third win in four seasonal starts. The
exacta paid $32, the triple returned $89 and the superfecta paid $1,274.
Saturday night’s card brings the second round
of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. Five, $50,000 divisions
(races 5 and 7 through 10) comprise this go-round.
