Round 2 of Blue Chip Matchmaker contested
April 3, 2009,by Frank Drucker, Yonkers Raceway Publicity Director
Yonkers, NY — A drizzling, foggy Friday night found Yonkers Raceway hosting the ladies in the second preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker.
Mike Lizzi photo
Elusive Prey (Stephane Bouchard) lived up to her name in the first of three, $40,000 Open Mare divisions.with a season’s-best 1:54 effort.
Elusive Prey (Stephane Bouchard) lived up to her name in the first of three, $40,000 Open Mare divisions. Leaving inside her six rivals, she rolled through fractions of :27.1, 56.2 and 1:25, en route to a season’s-best 1:54 effort.
She defeated Double Dream N (Brent Holland) by a measured length, with Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance) a pocket third. Still Electric (Greg Grismore), the tepid 2-1 choice, was caught wide leaving, offered minimal first-over and wound up a well-beaten last.
For Elusive Prey, a 5-year-old daughter of Western Hanover trained by Kevin Johnson for co-owners Rebecca Williams and Joe & Joann Thomson, she paid $7.10 (third choice) for her third win in 10 seasonal starts.
Bouchard, sidelined much of the season with a pinched nerve, was reunited with the winner’s circle for the first time since Feb. 17.
Nip N Attack (Jordan Stratton), the 13-10 favorite, had no problems repeating her opening-leg rout. Leaving from post position No. 3, she wired her half-dozen foes through divisions of :28, 57.2, 1:25.3 and 1:54.4. Up Front Bethann (Ryan Anderson) chased from second, beaten 3-1/2 lengths, with Western Graduate (Jim Pantaleano) closing from last to grab the bottom of the ticket.
Mike Lizzi photo
Nip N Attack (Jordan Stratton), the 13-10 favorite, had no problems repeating her opening-leg rout.
For Nip N Attack, a 5-year-old daughter of On the Attack co-owned by Susan Oakes & Chuck Pompey and trained by Chris Oakes, she paid $4.70 for her fifth win in 11 seasonal starts.
Events couldn’t have played out any better for Sportsfancy (Jason Bartlett) in the final Matchmaker grouping.
Leaving from post No. 5 in her series debut, the now-$700,000 career earner took in an early floor show with a lot of leavers.
Pancleefandarpels (Stratton), a Round 1 winner, quarter-moved around Goon BB (Grismore) after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile. Chancey Lady (Cat Manzi), the 3-5 choice after last week’s blowout win of her own, was four-wide leaving before settling fifth.
“Pancleef” found a zippy: 55.3 intermission, with Chancey Lady moving to engage. Sportsfancy was more than happy to tag along going down the backside and toward the 1:24.2 three-quarters.
Pancleefandarpels held a tenuous lead turning for home, with Chancey Lady to her outside and Sportsfancy ducking into the passing lane. Sportsfancy out-gamed Chancey Lady by three-parts of a length in 1:53.3, with Pancleefandarpels a tiring third, beaten 2-1/4 lengths.
For Sportsfancy, a 5-year-old daughter of Sportsmaster trained by Josh Green for owner Larry Baron, she paid $12.80 (third choice) for her fourth win in nine ’09 tries.
The undercard offered three, $12,500 divisions in Round 3–final prelim–of the Petticoat Pacing Series for 3- and 4-year-old fillies and mares. The winners were…
–My Girl Pam, 4 (by Western Ideal); owner Cappy Stable/trainer Jeff Morris/driver Billy Dobson; (season’s-best) 1:56.3/$10.20;
–Make a Bundle N, 4 (by In the Pocket); owner Pace Enterprises/trainer Dave Stratton/driver Jordan Stratton; (life-best) 1:56.3/$9.60;
–Dream’s Bar, 3 (by Dream Away); owner-trainer Leah Vandervort/driver Jim Marshall III; (life-best) 1:56.1 /$29.80.
Friday night’s $40,000 Open Handicap Trot went to favored Batalj Launcher (Bartlett, $4.10) in 1:57.4.
The George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, the Raceway’s premier Free-for-All event, continues Saturday night with four $50,000 second-round divisions. The 11-race card also includes five, $12,500 trials in Round 3 of the Sagamore Hill Pacing Series for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Next weekend’s finals of both the Petticoat and Sagamore Hill are worth $63,400 (Friday) and $70,400 (Saturday), respectively.