Ken Weingartner

Hightstown, NJ — Medusa is revved up and ready to go. The 8-year-old pacing mare is set for her fourth appearance in the upcoming Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at Yonkers and will look to continue her good fortune in the event, which included a second-place finish in the 2017 final.

“You always wonder, especially with a mare at her age, that when you shut her down the engine might not start back up,” said trainer Randy Bendis, who co-owns Medusa with Pollack Racing. “But she really came back great. She’s fresh and ready to go.”

A total of 35 mares entered Friday’s opening round of the Matchmaker and were divided into five $40,000 divisions. Medusa races in the first, which also includes millionaire Newborn Sassy. New Zealand-bred star Shartin, the 2018 Dan Patch Award winner for best older female pacer and defending Matchmaker champion, is in the fifth division.

For her career, Medusa has won 37 of 132 races and earned $881,743. Chris Gooden photo.

For her career, Medusa has won 37 of 132 races and earned $881,743. She has spent much of her career competing at The Meadows and Yonkers, with nearly half of her career appearances coming at The Hilltop. Medusa has won 10 of 61 races at Yonkers, hit the board a total of 32 times, and earned a paycheck in 55.

“She’s got near world-class ability, especially on a half,” Bendis said. “Her ability to get around four turns is what will keep her a factor this year. She is just a great half-miler. Shartin is just better than everybody, but she fits with the rest of them. On a half, a lot of it is the draw. If you get a good string drawing you can make a lot of money real quick.”

Pollack and Bendis, who is based in western Pennsylvania, bought Medusa at the beginning of her 5-year-old season in January 2016. Since then, she has produced three consecutive seasons with earnings between $206,444 and $246,691.

“She’s a warhorse now,” said New York-based trainer Ed Hart, who conditions Medusa for Bendis when the mare is racing at Yonkers. “She’s just a big, strong, good-looking mare. She’s been doing it for many years. You can leave, you can take her off; she’s just a versatile mare. You wish you had a barn full of them. Take care of her and she’ll do the rest.”

The Matchmaker and companion George Morton Levy Memorial series, which begins Saturday for older male pacers, both feature five preliminary rounds followed by added-money finals April 20. A horse receives 25 points each time she or he races in a preliminary round. Points are also awarded based on finish, with 50 points for a win, 25 for second, 12 for third, eight for fourth, and five for fifth.

Sell A Bit N, a two-time Matchmaker runner-up, also is among this year’s group along with millionaire Mach It A Par.

“It’s a very tough series,” Hart said. “She loves Yonkers, she loves the half; I think she should be fine with a little bit of luck.”

Following last year’s Matchmaker, Medusa finished second to Shartin in the Chip Noble Memorial at Miami Valley Raceway before focusing on the top-level overnights for fillies and mares at The Meadows and Yonkers. Bendis is looking at a similar schedule this season.

“I think she can go with the better mares early,” Bendis said. “I think it would be a lot to expect of her in July and August on the big tracks to go with them. If we can get the first part of the stakes season, I think that’s what we can ask of her.

“Ed has done a wonderful job with her. She will probably stay (at Yonkers) for as long as it works. It sure has worked recently for us there.”

Medusa is a daughter of Bettor’s Delight out of Mythical. She was bred by White Birch Farm. There are no secrets behind her success.

“She’s easy on herself, a sound mare, a happy mare; that’s a good combination,” Bendis said. “She likes her field time. In the winter it’s tough to give them quality field time, but we just try to keep her as happy as we can. We train her up a little bit, but figure out what she needs week to week. She normally responds well.

“She’s in great shape. She’s never trained a bad trip in her life for me. She’s just that kind of mare. I’ll shed a real tear the day we pull the harness off her for the last time because not too many come around like her.”

Follow the links for early Matchmaker program pages for Friday (March 15) and early Levy program pages for March 16. Friday’s program pages will be finalized today (March 12); Saturday’s program pages will be finalized on Thursday (March 14).