Yonkers, NY – The Last Martini and Mrs Cheese picked up Grand Circuit victories in two Grade 3 $50,000 Park MGM Pace divisions for 3-year-old fillies on Friday night (June 27) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Sent off at 1-9 in the opening flight, The Last Martini (Doug McNair) watched from third as Fashion Terror (Scott Zeron) cut fractions of :28.4 and :58 for the opening-half, then got going first-over before the field hit the third turn. Fashion Terror was able to hold off The Last Martini to three-quarters in 1:26 and continued to battle with her around the last turn, but The Last Martini finally put the stubborn pace-setter away in the lane.
However, The Last Martini’s work wasn’t done as Dressed To Kill (Yannick Gingras) tracked her from second-over and had pace in the lane after tipping out. However, The Last Martini was able to hold sway to the wire, defeating Dressed To Kill by a nose in a 1:54.2 mile. Fashion Terror was a good third, followed by Family Jewel (Jason Bartlett) and Intricacy (George Brennan).
Jared Bako trains the Crawford Farms-bred daughter of Huntsville for owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. The Last Martini has a summary of 7-5-2 from 15 starts, has put away $630,539 and paid $2.10 while she keyed a $7.90 exacta and a $15.00 trifecta.
In the other section Mrs Cheese (Matt Kakaley) worked her way to the point from the outside post five before the :27.4 quarter and maintained command to the half in :57.1 and the three-quarters in 1:25.3. Pocket-sitter Fansville (Joe Bongiorno) vacated the pylons prior to three-quarters, and she was tracked by favored Please Be You (Zeron).
Mrs Cheese was up to the challenge when confronted by Fansville, though, as she fought her off all the way around the final bend and to the finish line, tallying by a neck in 1:54.2. Please Be You got third, followed by Martini Star (Bartlett) and Huntingfortreasure (Dan Dube).
An American Ideal filly, Mrs Cheese is trained by Scott Di Domenico for owner Triple D Stables. Bred by Winbak Farm, Mrs Cheese has a pair of wins and two seconds from seven trips behind the gate, has pocketed $48,615 and returned $10.00 to win as a 4-1 offering. She was atop a $32.20 exacta and a $45.40 trifecta.
Three-year-old trotting fillies were in action on Friday night (June 27) at MGM Yonkers Raceway as Shes A Shoe In and Monalishi emerged with victories from a pair of Grade 3 $60,000 New York New York Mile sections.
Shes A Shoe In, driven by trainer Ray Schnittker, fired to the front in the first grouping but yielded to sit behind favored Royal Mission (Scott Zeron) after that one tipped from the pocket prior to the 28.3 quarter. Royal Mission, 2024’s sire stakes champion in New York, was well-rated from there to a 58.2 half and a 1:27 three-quarters, but Shes A Shoe In, last year’s Pennsylvania freshman champion, had the best kick in the lane as she angled out, surged by Royal Mission and won by a length in 1:56.4. Devious Babe (Andy Miller) also vaulted past Royal Mission in the lane to get second.
Schnittker also trains and co-owns Shes A Shoe In, a Steve Jones-bred daughter of Greenshoe, with partner Ma3 Racing Stable. Shes A Shoe In now has four wins, three seconds and a third from 14 career starts, has banked $241,273 and paid $22.40 to win as a 10-1 shot. The exacta was worth $96 and the trifecta kicked back $213.
The complexion of the other division changed on the first turn when favored EL Nightwish (Dexter Dunn) went off-stride, which allowed second choice Monalishi (Yannick Gingras) to drive on and clear Seventh Gen (Jeff Gregory) coming to the 28.4 quarter-mile point. It was all Monalishi from there, as Canada’s O’Brien Award winner for the division a year ago was unchallenged to the half in 58.2 and three-quarters in 1:27.2, then came home in 28 seconds flat to defeat Seventh Gen by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:55.2. R Lady W (Zeron) couldn’t mount a bid from first-over and had to settle for third.
A filly by Green Manalishi, Monalishi is co-owned by trainer Blake Macintosh in partnership with Tim Klemencic. Bred by Shmuel Farhi, Monalishi has a summary of 9-3-0 from 15 outings, has put away $533,353 and returned $5.00 to win. She led a $48.80 exacta and a $136.50 trifecta.