FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Friday, March 16, 2018—Nor’easters be damned. The first sign of spring occurred
Friday night (March 16th), with the beginning of Yonkers Raceway’s
Blue Chip Matchmaker.
A
consecutively-contested quartet of $40,000 events for high-end pacing mares
opened the show.
The first division
fooled very few in the equine persona of Shartin N (Tim Tetrick, $2.50). Away
fourth from the pole, she took over from Gina Grace N (Larry Stalbaum) after
that eight-holer made front (:27.1, :57.3).
Shartin N blew
right by, opening nighttime daylight before a 1:25.3 three-quarters. The lead
was three lengths off the final turn and 4¼ lengths at the wire, finding it in
1:54.2,
Motu Moonbeam N
(Brent Holland) was second as the 47-1 rank outsider, with Shesjustadelight N
(Ron Cushing) a decent third after losing the winner’s tow.
“Tim, is this one
the real deal?’
“I think so,”
Tetrick said.
For Shartin
N, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Tintin in America co-owned by Richard
Poillucci and Jo Anne Looney-King and trained by Jim King Jr., it was her fifth
win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $39.20, with triple returning $261.
The second
Matchmaker grouping saw another odds-on Kiwi lass as Sell a Bit N (Jordan
Stratton, $2.90) set a dawdling pace (:28.1, :58.2, 1:26.4), then held sway in
1:55.2.
Pole-sitting
Sell a Bit N took over from Medusa (Scott Zeron), then whip that one by a
half-length. Third went to Dudesalady (Brent Holland) after trying it first-up,
with Annabeth (Mark MacDonald) fourth.
For Sell a
Bit N, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Julius Caesar owned by Von Knoblauch
Stables and trained by Peter Tritton, it was her fourth win in seven ’18 tries.
The exacta paid $6, the triple (three wagering choices in order) returned $15
and the superfecta paid $56.50.
“(Sell a Bit
N) had three weeks off, so she wasn’t 100 percent, but she refused to let
anyone pass her,” Stratton said.
The
short-priced procession continued in Friday evening’s third series event. Lady
Shadow (Jason Bartlett. $2.90) had things her own way. From post position
No. 2, she saw Call Me Queen Be (Zeron) make the first lead. Lady Shadow gained
the advantage before a :27.3 opening quarter, then rated a :57.2 intermission.
Safe from
Terror (Yannick Gingras) found an eight-hole seat, only to take out of fourth.
That turned out to be an ill-advised move, as she backpedaled toward a 1:26
three-quarters. Lady Shadow owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane,
before winning by a half-length in 1:54.3.
Scandalicious
(Tetrick) and Eclipse Me N (Dan Dube) rallied for second and third,
respectively. Meanwhile, Call Me Queen Be edged from the pocket, but faded to
fourth.
For
season-debuting Lady Shadow, a 7-year-old daughter of Shadow Play co-owned by
(trainer) Richard Banca, D’Elegance Stable IX and Thomas Lazzaro, her career
earnings went past $1.94 million, The exacta paid $9.40, with the triple
returning $82.
‘It’s the
best she’s raced since she’s been in the barn,” Bartlett said.
The first
round’s final foray had the only non-favored winner, as pocketed third choice
Twinkle (Eric Goodell, $8.10) was quite handy.
From post No.
2, Twinkle nestled in behind Lispatty (George Brennan) with substations of
:27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.3. Pulling early, Twinkle went right by, winning by a
length-and-a-quarter in 1:54.2. Dewar N Soda (Bartlett) wound up a
three-hole second, with Lispatty third and Vintage Babe (Holland) fourth.
Last season’s
series champ and this race’s 17-10 fave, Mackenzie A (Stratton), never
did get involved and finishing eighth (last).
For
season-debuting Twinkle, a 5-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight co-owned by
Dana Parham & Let it Ride Stables and trained by Ross Croghan, she’s now
won 12-of-13 career starts. The exacta paid $105, the triple returned $338.50
and the superfecta paid $1,570.
“She’s an
all-around nice horse,” Goodell said.
Saturday
night (March 17th) offers a quintet of $50,000 divisions of
Free-for-Allers in the opening round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing
Series
