by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — It wasn’t terribly attractive, but certainly effective.
Odds-on Mackenzie A (Jordan Stratton, $2.90) did her thing from first-up Friday night (Dec. 1), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Filly and Mare Open Pace.
Jelena Gerga photo
Mackenzie A takes the featured event at Yonkers on Friday evening.
Away fifth from the pole in the scratch-abbreviated field of seven, the Matchmaker victress saw Call Me Queen Be (Eric Goodell) outleave all of her inside rivals, working around Best Of Jenna (Mark MacDonald) with All About Madi (George Brennan) third.
After early intervals of :26.4 and :56, Mackenzie A moved. She engaged Call Me Queen Be in and out of a 1:24.3 three-quarters, despite not steering all that well.
Call Me Queen Be maintained a short lead off the final turn, but her pursuer was relentless. Mackenzie A forged past in mid-stretch, prevailing in 1:54. Best Of Jenna was a pocket second, missing by a half-length at 33-1. She did ‘photo’ an angled-out All About Madi, with Call Me Queen Be and Regil Elektra (Joe Bongiorno) coming away with the remainder.
For Mackenzie A, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven co-owned by Ellen Kinser & Harry von Knoblauch Stables and trained by Peter Tritton, it was her fourth win in 13 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $41.60, with the triple returning $84.50.