Yonkers. NY – Aardie B Miki N, driven by Jason Bartlett, stamped herself as the likely prohibitive choice in the final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series following another impressive victory in Friday’s (April 25) fifth and concluding preliminary leg at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
The 5-year-old daughter of Always B Miki won her fourth straight race in North America, posting a 1:53.1 mile in the second of three $50,000 divisions.
Bartlett started from the pole position and allowed Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton) to clear on the opening bend. Scott Zeron pressed strongly, taking over off the first turn with Walkin On Sunshine, with Bartlett wasting little time getting off the pylons and rushing up to get the front past the :27.2 opening quarter.
Once in control, the 1-20 favored Aardie B Miki N cut soft fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.2 with High Flyin’ Filly and Yannick Gingras offering token pressure. On the final turn, Bartlett shook up the Per Engblom-trained mare, and she responded in kind, keeping a safe distance to the wire ahead of Walkin On Sunshine as Silk Cloud A also advanced late for the show spot.
Owned by M T Stables of Ontario, Aardie B Miki N boosted her North American earnings to $100K on the season and returned but $2.10 to win while leading an equally short ($2) exacta of $4.90 and $8.70 ($2) trifecta payouts.
Todd McCarthy guided Talk Curdy To Me to victory, coming overland for the final half-mile and wearing down pace-setter Coachellabound N on her way to a 1:54.1 clocking. Trained by Jeff Cullipher, Talk Curdy To Me was a winner for the first time in the series, having finished second and third in two other legs.
Coachellabound N and Brent Holland charged out with Cheryls Shadow and Talk Curdy To Me on the opening bend. Holland gained control off the first turn, with both Cheryls Shadow and Talk Curdy To Me retreating into spots along the pylons. Coachellabound N had control through a :28 second first quarter and slowed the half to :57.2 before McCarthy was flushed out with Talk Curdy To Me at the half, followed by 7-5 favorite Cheryls Shadow second-over and Beautiful Seaside third-over.
The pace picked up on the backstretch with Talk Curdy To Me eating into the leader’s margin but still on the outside through a 1:25.2 three-quarters. On the final turn, Talk Curdy To Me, a 5-year-old mare by Betterthancheddar, kicked into gear and overpowered the leader. The challenge from the favorite never quite came, with Talk Curdy To Me completing a :28.4 final quarter and Cheryls Shadow barely holding down the place spot ahead of Beautiful Seaside.
Owned by Pollack Racing LLC., Talk Curdy To Me paid $12.80 to win and led an ($2) exacta worth $37.80 and a ($2) triple that paid $131.00.
Rocket Deo gave Bartlett his second Blue Chip Matchmaker victory of the evening when she captured the final division in 1:52.2, going virtually wire-to-wire in the process. Trained by Brett Pelling, who will have two mares in the final, Rocket Deo was a winner for the third straight time in the series.
Seaside Diva and Yannick Gingras moved to the front on the first turn but were quickly under attack by the 2-5 favorite Rocket Deo, who took control off the opening bend. Rocket Deo hit the quarter in :27.3 and was still going strong at the half in 56 seconds flat. Ron Cushing pulled Turn The Page N off the third turn to challenge but wasn’t able to make up much ground as Rocket Deo paced to three-quarters in 1:24.1 and appeared to have the field at her mercy.
On the final turn, it looked to be a two-mare race with Seaside Diva gaining clearance into the lane, but Bartlett called on his 4-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous, and she responded with a solid :28.1 final fraction and a clear win. Seaside Diva held on late for second with Turn The Page N third.
Owned by Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding, Rocket Deo returned $2.80 to win and keyed a $11.80 ($2) exacta and $19.80 ($2) triple payoff.
Unofficially, the eight mares who have advanced to the $490,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final are:
Rocket Deo (312 points)
Walkin On Sunshine (300 points)
Aardie B Miki N (300 points)
Silk Cloud A (274 points)
Turn The Page N (224 points)
Seaside Diva (221 points)
Beautiful Seaside (217 points)
Talk Curdy To Me (217 points)
The Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final and the $516,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final, both of which will take place on Friday, May 9, will be the first two Grade 1 harness racing events in North America under the graded stakes system that begins this year.
PICK 5 CARRYOVER & GUARANTEED POOL ON MONDAY, ALONG WITH FINAL BORGATA PRELIMS: Three $50,000 splits of the last round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series will take place on Monday (April 28). The top 15 horses currently in the standings are all set for action as spots for the final are up for grabs.
Additionally, Monday’s card will have an $11,043.59 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in the Pick-5 sequence that starts in race five as there were no tickets that had five-of-five on Friday night.
The guarantee in the Pick-5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. Free past performances for the Pick-5, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available at handicapping.ustrotting.com. The Pick-5, which begins in race five and has a $1 minimum, has a takeout rate of 20 percent.
MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).