Love The Game wires Hopeful Filly Final
February 19, 2005,by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Love The Game beat her seven rivals to the lead, then beat ’em to the bank, going the distance in Friday night’s (February 18) $28,300 final of the Hopeful Pacing Series for three-year-old fillies at a brisk Yonkers Raceway. With Ray Schnittker doing the honors for owner Steve Jones and trainer Paul Doherty, Love The Game had her nose on gate from post position five. The daughter of The Pandersoa stepped around Curly Q Mouse (Jim Taggart, Jr.), securing the big chair before a :29 opening quarter-mile. Love The Game then rated a soft (1:00.1) half on a cold night, before 19-10 favorite Sistermarymargaret (Steve Smith) tried her luck first over. Love The Game continued to command, passing the 1:29.4 three-quarters, while “Marymargaret” was sitting on her flank. The pacesetter had three-quarters of a length to work with turning for home, then quickly slapped more daylight on her pursuers. Love The Game widened out, winning her gender’s Hopeful by three and a half lengths in a flat 2:00, a lifetime best. Curly Q Mouse reclaimed second, while Western Top Cat (Greg Merton) sat a three hole and grabbed third. Sistermarymargaret and Bacon Hill Dannie (Jay Randall) earned the final two pay envelopes, while Seamstresforthepan (Marcus Johansson), Pure Instinct (Jim Marshall III) and Ideal Dex (Stephane Bouchard) rounded out the order. Love The Game, who entered this series as a maiden, notched a win and a pair of seconds in her three preliminary performances leading up to the final. Her second win in four seasonal starts more than doubled her previous earnings to date. She paid $7.30 as the second choice, leading a $51.50 exacta and $206.50 triple. The Hopeful Pacing Series concludes Saturday night, with the sophomore colts and geldings chasing $29,200. Friday night’s usual pair of $15,000 co-featured Open Handicaps, for distaff pacers and trotters at the mile and one-sixteenth distance, went to: Yonkers continues its usual four night per week schedule. First post every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday remains at 7:40 p.m. Afternoon simulcasting continues around the NYRA schedule.