BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Friday, April 12, 2019—Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker saw its fifth
and final preliminary round go Friday night (Apr. 12th), with
three, $40,000 groupings of Free-For-All mares.
Any number of
well-positioned points leaders earned this week off for good behavior.
Here was the
last-chance-to-impress ledger…
First division—Another wet week
for the lasses, though not as much moisture as last Friday.
Undaunted, 3-10
lass Seaswift Joy N (Jim Marohn Jr., $2.60) was the lone leaver and the easiest
of winners. From what became the outside post position in this
scratched-reduced quintet, Seaswift Joy N worked around Camera Lady (Matt
Kakaley), then was a drifting, three-length victress (:27.2, :57, 1:25.2,
1:52.3).
Camera Lady chased
the around the oval for second, with Delightfulmemphisn (Tim Tetrick), Gold
Orchid N (Jason Bartlett) and Itty Bitty (Dan Dube) rounding out the
finishers/payees.
For Seaswift Joy
N, a 6-year-old Down Under Bettor’s Delight ma’am owned by Brad Grant and
trained by Tony Alagna, it was her fifth win in eight seasonal starts (3-for-5
in Matchmaker). The exacta paid $6.20, with triple and superfecta wagering both
cancelled.
“She’s getting
better every week,” Marohn Jr. said.
Second division—An uncovered
Kaitlyn N (Kakaley, $9) ground down 1-2 choice Feelin’ Red Hot (George Brennan)
in 1:52.2.
The former played
leapfrog with Twinkle (Scott Zeron), reclaiming the lead right at a :26.4
opening quarter-mile.. After a :56.1 intermission, it was Kaitlyn N—from post
No. 4—moving from third. She hooked the leader between the 1:24 three-quarters
and the final turn, putting her away midway through the lane.
Kaitlyn N drew out
to win by a length-and-a-quarter. Feelin’ Red Hot held second, with Caviart
Cherie (Joe Bongiorno) third. Odds outsiders Angel’s Pride (Bent Holland) and Write
Me a Song (Bartlett) came away with the minors.
For second choice
Kaitlyn N, a 6-year-old Down Under daughter of American Ideal co-owned by
(trainer) Richard Banca and Barbara & James Boese, it was her first win in
eight ’19 tries (1-for-5 in Matchmaker). The exacta paid $13.80, the triple
returned $52.50 and the superfecta paid $184.
“Did not want to
be first-up, but she was so good, it didn’t matter,” Kakaley said.
Third division—Looped leaving,
but short-priced Apple Bottom Jeans (Corey Callahan, $2.60) had few issues
thereafter (:27.2, :56, 1:24.3, 1:53).
From post No. 2,
she eventually worked around Newborn Sassy (Tetrick) before whipping that one
by 2½ lengths for her escort’s 5,998th career driving victory.
A second-up Magic
Forces (Brennan), a first-up Medusa (Bartlett) and Freakonomics (Zeron) settled
for the small change.
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 fifth win in eight seasonal starts (3-for-4 in Matchmaker). The exacta (two
wagering choices) paid $8.80, the triple returned $68 and the superfecta paid
$168.50.
“She was as good
as she’s ever been,” said Callahan, who a race earlier won No. 5,997 with
catch-drive Odds on Delray ($12.40) in a mile-and-a-sixteenth overnight event.
Updated Matchmaker
standings accompany this release. The final is set for Saturday night, Apr. 20th
(approximate purse $400,000). Note that the leaders are not necessarily the
finalists until ‘finalized’ by the race office after an examination of the
series conditions.
Saturday evening’s
(Apr. 13th) fifth and final round of the George Morton Levy Memorial
Pacing Series features four, $50,000 Free-For-All divisions.
