BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Friday, March 22, 2019—Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker saw the second
of five preliminary rounds go Friday night (March 22nd). Four,
$40,000 groupings of leading lasses were contested, one fewer than a week ago.
Here’s the basics…
First division—A wide-early
Don’t Think Twice A (Jason Bartlett, $6)—from post position No. 7—worked around
3-2 favorite Newborn Sassy (Tim Tetrick), then held that one off through the
lane in equal halves (:27.2, :57, 1:25.2, 1:54).
Third went to
second-over Kaitlyn N (Matt Kakaley), with Rockstar Angel A (Eric Goodell) and
Bettorb Chevron N (Jordan Stratton) picking off the remainder.
For second choice
Don’t Think Twice A, a 6-year-old Down Under daughter of Armbro Operative
co-owned by (trainer) Andrew Harris, Arrhythmic, Pollack Racing and Jeff
Cullipher, it was her first win in three seasonal starts. The exacta paid
$16.40, the triple returned $76 and the superfecta paid $235.50.
(Don’t Think Twice
A) is just so handy and smart, a perfect horse for Yonkers,” Bartlett said.
“Drive her any way you want to.”
Second division—Apple Bottom
Jeans (Corey Callahan, $4.10) became the first lass to ‘double date’ in the
Matchmaker. Leapfrogging her seven inside rivals, the just-over-even-money
favorite had no issues (:27.3, :56.3, 1:25.1, 1:53.3) en route to a
three-length win.
First leader
Twinkle (Scott Zeron) could not match strides from the pocket, but saved
second. Medusa (Jim Marohn Jr.), Bettor’s Up (Tetrick) and Write Me a Song
(Stratton) rounded out the payees.
“She’s
a mare with a lot of class,” Callahan said, “I mean, you can leave with her six
weeks in a row, then duck her. When the new owners were thinking about buying
her, they asked me what I’d thought, since I’d driven her.
“I
told them she might not be the best mare in the country, but she enjoys her
work and she’s honest.”
For Apple Bottom
Jeans, a 6-year-old daughter of Mr. Apples co-owned by Ed Gold, Howard Taylor,
Thomas Lazzaro & Robert Cooper Stables and trained by Dylan Davis, it was
her fourth win in six seasonal starts (2-for-2 in series). The exacta (two
wagering choices) paid $8.70, the triple returned $98.50 and the superfecta
paid $400.50.
Third division—Bettor Joy N
(Tetrick, $6.50), who was snapped at the wire as an odd-on choice a week ago,
turned the tables here. Second-over from post No. 5, she nailed 3-4 fave Ideal
Lifestyle A (George Brennan) by a going-away length in 1:53.4.
The latter,
looking to repeat, walked early (:28, :58), then threw down a :27.3 third
quarter (1:25.3) trying to lose her rivals.
It did not work.
Gold Orchid N
(Bartlett), Caviart Cherie (Joe Bongiorno) and Camera Lady (Kakaley) came away
with the remainder.
For
second choice Bettor Joy N, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettor’s
Delight co-owned by her escort, Richard Poillucci & Jo Ann Looney-King and
trained by Jim King Jr., it was her second win in four ’19 tries. The exacta
paid $13.80, the triple returned $35 and the superfecta paid $85.50.
Fourth division—Feelin’ Red Hot
(Brennan, $13.20), from post No. 4, went the distance (:27.4, :57.4, 1:24.2,
1:53.1) to whip a stacked field.
Pole-sitting
Obvious Blue Chip (Zeron), at 46-1, photoed a three-move Seaswift Joy N (Marohn
Jt.) for secomd, while 1-2 choice Shartin N (Tetrick) was a brutal-trip fourth,
with Delightfulmemphisn (Bartlett) fifth.
Seaswift Joy N
also had also sorta of fun. Leaving first into a five-hole, then moving into a
three-hole ahead of Delightfulmemphisn. Approaching the half, those two were
both off the cones, with Shartin N, already in the throes of a rotten,
eight-hole sojourn, forced wide.
While all that was
happening, Feelin’ Red Hot was employing the ‘shortest distance between two
points’ theory. She had three lengths in and out the final turns before winning
by 2¼ lengths.
For fourth choice
Feelin’ Red Hot, a 6-year-old Feelin’ Friskie ma’am co-owned (as Burke Racing)
by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, she’s now 4-for-9 this season. The
exacta paid $263, the triple returned $1,288 and the superfecta paid $5,036.
Saturday evening’s
(March 23rd) second round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing
Series features six, $50,000 Free-For-All divisions.
