YONKERS, NY, Friday, April 5, 2019–Yonkers Raceway's Blue Chip Matchmaker saw its fourth preliminary round conducted over Friday night's (Apr. 5th) 'sloppy' surface.
Three, $40,000 groupings of Free-For-All harness racing mares went at it, down one from a week ago.
Here was the moist rundown…
First division–The logical, two-speed number unfolded as such, with pole-sitting fave Don't Think Twice A (Jason Bartlett, $3.30) retaking from second-choice Feelin' Red Hot (George Brennan), then holding that one off by a neck (:28.1, :58, 1:26.3, 1:55).
Twinkle (Scott Zeron) was a three-hole, best-of-the-rest third, with Obvious Blue Chip (Mark MacDonald) and Write Me a Song (Jordan Stratton) rounding out the remainder.
For Don't Think Twice A, a 6-year-old Down Under Armbro Operative ma'am co-owned by (trainer) Andrew Harris, Arrhythmic, Pollack Racing and Jeff Cullipher, it was her second win in five seasonal starts (2-for-3 in Matchmaker). The exacta paid $5.10, the triple (three wagering choices in order) returned $10 and the superfecta paid $41.20.
Second division–After a lengthy delay for track maintenance, just-over-even-money choice Bettor Joy N (Tim Tetrick, $4.10) read the memo just in time.
Third-over behind a gapper from outside post position No. 7, Bettor Joy N saw polester Ideal Lifestyle A (Brennan) battle with a two-moving Betterb Chevron N (Stratton) though intervals of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:25.2.
The latter would eventually win the battle before Bettor Joy N swooped in through her lane, prevailing in 1:54.3. The final margin was a going-away length-and-a-quarter. Betterb Chevron N saved second, with Camera Lady (Matt Kakaley) closing from last to grab the bottom of the ticket.
Bettor Joy N -photos-Katy Gazzini
Ideal Lifestyle A and Shezza GNP N (Austin Siegelman) picked off the remainder.
For Bettor Joy N, a 5-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettor's Delight co-owned by her driver, Richard Poillucci & Jo Ann Looney-King and trained by Jim King Jr., it was her fourth win in five '19 tries (3-for-4 in Matchmaker). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $12.20, the triple returned $112.50 and the superfecta paid $274.
Third division–This was the Shartin N group.
Next.
The defending series champ (Tetrick, $2.20) was–from post No. 4–the lone leaver, with a highly-predictable result (:28.3, :57.4, 1:26.2, 1:54.2). The margin was a length.
Shartin N –-photos-Katy Gazzini
Second went a pole-protecting Kaitlyn N (Kakaley), while Medusa (Bartlett) sat third and wound up there. Sell a Bit N (Stratton) and a first-up Freakonomics (Zeron) settled for the smallest envelopes. Second choice Seaswift Joy N (Jim Marohn Jr.) could not get involved from behind the eight-ball.
For Shartin N, a 6-year-old millionairess Down Under Tintin in America miss co-owned and trained by the same fine folks who bring you Bettor Joy N, it was her third win in four seasonal/series starts. The exacta paid $5.40, the triple returned $11.80 and the superfecta paid $107.
Updated Matchmaker standings accompany this release (all three of Friday's winners are well-positioned to take next week's final prelim off, should their connections choose to go that route. The final is set for Saturday night, Apr. 20th [purse TBA]).
Saturday evening's (Apr. 6th) fourth round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series features four, $50,000 Free-For-All divisions.
Frank Drucker
Director of Publicity
Yonkers