BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Friday, March 23, 2018—Yonkers Raceway Friday night (March 23rd)
offered the second round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker.
A quintet of
$40,000 events again brought together many of the best pacing mares.
‘Quintet’ was the
watchword in the first division, with the field pared to five after a
defection. Pole-sitting, series-debuting Wishy Washy Girl (Jason Bartlett,
$4.80) kept pocket-sitting, even-money fave Twinkle (Eric Goodell) trapped in
behind, then took it the distance (:27.1, :57.1, 1:25.3, 1:54.2, matching
her previous season’s win effort).
The margin was a
neck. Scandalicious (Tim Tetrick) moved from last down the backside, flattened
but held third
For Wishy
Washy Girl, a 5-year-old daughter of Roll with Joe co-owned by Michael
Cimiglio, Glenn Goler & Stephen Demeter by Richard Banca, it was her second
win in three seasonal starts. The exacta paid $11.40, with triple wagering
refunded due to an insufficient number of starters.
The second
division was a second handy Matchmaker win for Shartin N (Tetrick, $2.30). From
post No. 4, she worked around polester Clear Idea (Mark MacDonald), then had no
grief whatsoever (:27.1, :57.1, 1:25.3, 1:53.2). Throwing down an early
gauntlet in this series, Shartin N won by a facile length-and-three-quarters.
Clear Idea saved
second, with 69-1 rank outsider Vintage Babe (Brent Holland) a ground-saving
third. She gained the bottom of the ticket after Au D Lox Bluegrass (Yannick
Gingras) took out of third, tried to test the winner and faded to
fourth.
For Shartin
N, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Tintin in America co-owned by Richard
Poillucci & Jo Anne Looney-King and trained by Jim King Jr., it was her
sixth win in seven ’18 tries. The exacta paid $13.40, with triple returning
$97.
Friday
evening’s third series event found another series newbie, L A Delight (Gingras,
$5.70), eschew an early three-hole, then hold sway (:27.3, :56.3, 1:25.1,
1:53.2).
From post No.
3 after last week’s scratch-sick, L A Delight took over from pole-sitting Mach
it a Par (Bartlett). That one, and a first-up Wrangler Magic (Dan Dube)
were quite credible, but not quite good enough. L A Delight disposed of Mach it
a Par by a length-and-a-quarter, with Wrangler Magic third.
For timid
choice L A Delight, a 5-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight owned by Diamond
Creek Racing and trained by Nancy Johansson, it was her first win in a pair of
seasonal starts. The exacta paid $18.20, with the triple returning $93.
Friday’s
fourth division saw logic take a holiday in the form of 36-1 bombardier Motu
Moonbeam N (Holland, $74.50).
From outside
post No. 7, she watched from the back as ‘Sissy and Sassy’ show, with HP Sissy
(Dube) and tepid 2-1 favorite Newborn Sassy (Tetrick) leading the ladies
(:27.2, :57.1, 1:25).
Jag Out
(Gingras) pulled from third with a hard challenge, only to eventually break
stride. However, the front end was more than vulnerable, with Motu Moonbeam
closing crisply to win by a length-and-a-quarter in a season’s-best 1:54.3.
Safe from
Terror (Jordan Stratton), who misstepped in the third turn allowing the
eventual winner to improve position, made up much ground to end up second. Gina
Grace N (Larry Stalbaum), second-over and gapping the misbehaving Jag Out, did
get third.
For Motu
Moonbeam N, a 6-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettor’s Delight owned by
Friendship Stables and trained by Paul Blumenfeld, she’s now 3-for-10 this
season. The exacta paid $459, with the triple returning $4,101.
The evening’s
final series get-together found last season’s series victress, Mackenzie A
(Stratton, $16.20), make her first statement this season.
Working off
the pace after starting outside her six foes, Mackenzie A did have some numbers
to chase as Lakeisha Hall (Gingras), Call Me Queen Be (Scott Zeron) and 2-5
choice Lady Shadow (Bartlett) were all in play.
Before the
dust settled (:26.1, :55.4) and Lady Shadow had two-moved to the lead,
Mackenzie A was out and moving. She was done no favors—and forced three-wide
briefly—when Lispatty (Brennan) came out directly in front of her. That one
threw down another roadblock, tiring by the 1:24.1 three-quarters and forcing
Mackenzie A wide again.
No problem,
as she just rolled over a tiring Lady Shadow in the lane. Mackenzie A drew out,
winning by a length-and-a-half in 1:53.1. Lakeisha Hall raced well at
both ends of the mile to finish second, with Dudesalady (Holland) and Lady
Shadow retreating to fourth.
For third
choice (barely) Mackenzie A, a 6-year-old Down Under Rock N Roll Heaven lass
trained by Peter Tritton for co-owners Von Knoblauch Stables and Ellen Kinser,
it was her first win in a pair of seasonal efforts. The exacta paid $131.50,
with the triple worth $1,008.
Saturday
night (March 24th) offers a quartet of $50,000 divisions of
Free-for-Allers in the second round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing
Series.
