BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, April 23, 2016—Always
a bridesmaid, never a bride…until this time around.
Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube, $8.30),
second-best in this race a season ago, rolled from off the pace Saturday night,
winning Yonkers Raceway’s $309,800 final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker for pacing
mares.
Unhurried early from post position No. 4,
“Yagonnakissme” watched Krispy Apple (Jason Bartlett) was launched from behind
the eight-ball. She was met by Sell a Bit N (Jordan Stratton), with the
latter—as the slight 5-2 favorite—retaking before a :27.1 opening quarter-mile.
Sell a Bit N
continued to lead at :55.3 half as Lady Shadow (Corey Callahan) took out of
third. That one moved toward the leader while Yagonnakissmeornot had some
ground to make up from second-over to play catch-up.
A :27.4 third
quarter (1:23.2) did enough to make leader and challenger a bit susceptible,
though Sell a Bit N had a length-and-a-half in and out of the final turn.
As that was happening, Yagonnakissmeot was getting the memo and roaring through
the lane.
She picked
off the pace-setter, whipping Sell a Bit N by a pair of going-away lengths in a
life-best 1:51.4. Sell a Bit N held second, with a third-over Al Raza N (Dave
Miller) third. Regil Elektra (Tim Tetrick) and last season’s winner, Venus
Delight (Yannick Gingras) settled for the remainder, with Krispy Apple, Lady
Shadow and Mach it a Par brought up the rear.
For
Yagonakissmeornot, a third choice 7-year-old daughter of The Panderosa co-owned
(as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard. Yves Sarazin and Kapildeo
Singh, it was her fourth win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $27.80,
with the triple returning $143.
“I thought
about leaving the gate, but when I saw the outside horse (Krispy Apple) leave
hard, I decided against it,” Dube said. “She’s just a tough mare.”
Dube also won this race in 2011 with Tomorrowpan.
“She’s a
favorite around the barn, goes about her work and stays at it,” Allard said.
A $75,000 series consolation was won by
Carolsideal (Dube, $4) in 1:52.1 as a stablemate to the series winner.
