by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway Friday night (April 17) hosted the fifth and final preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker of Open Pacing Mares.

Mike Lizzi photo

Camille (1) took Friday night’s division of the Blue Chip Matchmaker at Yonkers Raceway in 1:53.

One lonesome, $40,000 division attracted six lasses, with odds-on Camille (George Brennan, $3) barely holding sway over Krispy Apple (Tim Tetrick) in 1:53.

The former, starting inside her five foes, saw both Palm Patrol (Mark MacDonald) and Krispy Apple in play early, with Krispy Apple looping Palm Patrol to make the first lead.

It was Camille then finding the front before a 28-second opening quarter-mile, then a :56.4 intermission. For The Ladies N (Brian Sears) tried it from third, engaging the leader in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters.

However, Camille rejected those advances, taking a three-quarter length lead into the lane. She then encountered a passing-lane Krispy Apple, with the second choice missing a scant nose. Strings (Eric Carlson) wound up third as the 67-1 rank outsider.

For Camille, a 7-year-old daughter of Camluck co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable and Jack Piatt III, it was her third win in eight seasonal starts (2-for-4 in series). The exacta paid $4, with the triple returning $23.80

It should be noted that the first three leading ladies through four Matchmaker rounds—Carolisideal, Venus Delight and Yagonnakissmeornot—all took this week off, their invites to the final solidified.

They are to be joined next week by Camille, Monkey On My Wheel, Fancy Desire, Krispy Apple and Strings.

The finals of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker (purse $261,000) and George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series (purse $529,000) go Saturday night, Apr. 25.

The Raceway’s live season continues Saturday night (post time 7:10 p.m.), with the fifth and final prelim round (three, $50,000 divisions) of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. After that, it’s Monday (7:10 p.m.), a French-centric Tuesday (1 p.m. third round of YR/SOA of NY Bonus Trotting Series), then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 p.m.). Note Sunday matinees are done until November.