FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, December 8, 2017—Stop
us if you’ve read this missive before.
Mackenzie A (Jordan Stratton, $8.40) did
her thing from first-up Friday night (Dec. 8th), winning Yonkers
Raceway’s $40,000 Filly and Mare Open Pace.
Away fourth from the pole, the Matchmaker
victress watched Best of Jenna (Mark MacDonald), Newborn Sassy (Brent Holland)
and 3-5 choice Lady Shadow (Jason Bartlett) all take early shots.
Lady Shadow, back here first the first
time since the 2016 Matchmaker, had to work for it, racing wide to make
the lead. The $1.9 million lass, now racing for her fourth trainer in the last
three months, did get around Newborn Sassy after a 27-second opening
quarter-mile.
It was a rated :56.1 intermission when
Mackenzie A moved to engage. She did so passing a 1:24.4 three-quarters, her
gait better than it was off the same trip a week ago. Mackenzie A collared Lady
Shadow in the final turn, closing the repeat sale by a length-and-a-half in a
life-best 1:52.4.
Newborn Sassy
ducked inside to grab second, with Lady Shadow tiring to third. Lakeisha Hall
(Joe Bongiorno) and Pretty Image (Matt Kakaley) settled for the
remainder.
For third
choice Mackenzie A, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven
co-owned by Ellen Kinser & Harry von Knoblauch Stables and trained by Peter
Tritton, it was her fifth win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $22.60,
with the triple returning $63.
