BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, April 1, 2016—Fooling
no one, Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker continued Friday night.
Three compacted, $40,000 legions of lasses
comprised a ‘sloppy’ third of five preliminary rounds…and if you’re name isn’t
Jordan Stratton, there’s really no reason to continue reading
The first event saw 1-2 favorite Krispy
Apple (Jason Bartlett) caught wide early, paying a pretty (:26.4, :55.4) price
for the lead. Regil Elektra (Tim Tetrick) then moved from fourth, disposing of
the leader after the 1:24.3 three-quarters.
Regil Elektra owned a three-quarter-length
lead into the lane and hung in there gamely, but was mowed down late by a
from-last For the Ladies N (Stratton, $40.40) in 1:53.1. The longest shot on
the board—from post position No. 5—won by a neck, with Jungle Genie N (Matt
Kakaley) third, while Krispy Apple faded to lead among the half-dozen.
For the Ladies N, a 7-year-old Down Under
daughter of Jereme’s Jet owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter
Tritton, is now 1-for-5 this season. The exacta paid $140.50, with the triple
returning $884.
Friday’s second Matchmaker event had
owner, trainer and driver double-up with Sell a Bit N ($7.10), who herself made
it a series two-fer.
Negating her outside six-hole, the second
choice worked around Skippin’ By (Yannick Gingras), then laid down the law
(:27.4, :56.4, 1:25.2, 1:53). Venus Delight (Bartlett), as the 3-5 choice,
moved to challenge from third, but never came close. Sell a Bit N won by a
length-and-a-quarter, with Venus Delight second and Skippin’ By third.
Sell a Bit N, a 6-year-old Down Under
daughter of Julius Caesar, is now 2-for-6 this season. The exacta paid $12.20,
with the triple returning $55.
The evening’s final series soiree saw
Stratton and just-over-even-money Al Raza N ($4.10) complete an evening/series
hat trick, respectively.
Watching early from post No, 4, series
points leader Al Raza N was content to have Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube)
retake from Request for Parole (Gingras), with early intervals of :27.4 and
:57.
Anndrovette moved from third down the
backside, towing Al Raza N along for the ride in and out of a 1:25.1
three-quarters.
Entering the lane, Yagonnakissmeornot was
about to give up the ghost. Al Raza N moved widest and defeated the lass on her
back, Mach it a Par (George Brennan), by a half-length in 1:53. Anndrovette
held well for third.
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 fourth win in four five starts. The exacta paid $9, with
the triple returned $41.60.
“(For the Ladies N) was definitely helped
by fast fractions and a short field, while the other two (Sell a Bit N and Al
Raza N) always race well,” Stratton—now an honorary Kiwi—said.
“I’ve been fortunate they haven’t drawn in
against one another.”
Yet
Friday night’s Pick 5 wager, beginning
with a carryover of $8,041.75, attracted $24,967 of new investments. After
takeout, $26,767 was divvied up to those who had the correct sequence.
The “phrase that pays” was 4/7/2/6/4,
returning $545.25 for each winning half-a-buck wager.
Saturday night’s card brings the third
round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. Four, $50,000 divisions
(races 6 through 9) comprise this go-round, with reining Harness Horse of the
Year Wiggle It Jiggleit debuting in the third event.
