by Frank Drucker Publicity Director for Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Favored Mach It A Par (Brian Sears, $4.40) saved her best for last Friday night (May 27) , winning Yonkers Raceway’s $45,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Jelena Gerga photo

Mach It A Par captures the $45,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace for her third victory of the season.

Unhurried from post position three, Mach It A Par watched as outside numbers Anndrovette (Jason Bartlett) and Tessa Seelster (George Brennan) lined ‘em up early.

The former led through early substations of :27.4 and :56.2. It was Know it All (Eric Abbatiello) moving from fourth, with the people’s choice behind the one.

Anndrovette continued to lead in and out of a 1:24 three-quarters, with a length-and-a-half margin entering the lane. However, she was done soon after, with Mach It A Par—fifth turning for home—going fastest when it counted. She rolled home by a length-and-a-quarter in a season’s best 1:52.

Second went to Tessa Seelster, who offered good pace at both ends, with a belated Al Raza N (Jordan Stratton), Lookout Stokk Zone (Tyler Buter) and Anndrovette settling for the remainder.

For Mach It A Par, a 6-year-old daughter of Mach Three co-owned by D’Elegance Stable IX, Carmen Iannacone, T L P and the Gandolfo Stables and trained by Richard Banca, it was her third win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $16.80, with the triple returning $65.

Saturday night’s (May 28) card finds the Raceway hosting a pair of premier stakes events for 3-year-olds in the $300,000 Art Rooney Pace (sixth race) and its companion event for the lasses, the $100,000 Lismore (fourth race).

The 12-race program begins at the usual 7:10 p.m.

A friendly reminder from Yonkers Raceway that Saturday evening’s (May 28) Pick-5 wager begins with a carryover of $3,525.24.

The Pick-5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races seven through 11 during every racing program. It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Friday evening (May 27), the entire pool (minus takeout) moves to the next program.