The Blue Chip Matchmaker Series continued on Friday, April 4 at MGM Yonkers Raceway featuring a pair of Canadian-owned pacing mares, Lit De Rose, the defending series champion, and Aardie B Miki N, a repeat winner in this year's opening legs.

The second leg of the series started with a pair of 1-9 favourites taken down in the two fastest $71,429 divisions.

High Flyin Filly and driver Yannick Gingras popped out of the pocket before the three-quarters to challenge 1-9 favourite Rocket Deo and then surged to the front in the homestretch to take the first division in 1:53.

Trained by Ron Burke, High Flyin Filly blasted to the front into the first turn and forced Cheryls Shadow (Brent Holland) into a two-hole. Bartlett quarter-moved the heavy favourite, Rocket Deo (Jason Bartlett), to the front off the opening bend and they were in control through a :27.1 opening fraction. 

Rocket Deo hit the half in :56.2 but found company from the eventual winner before the 1:24.4 three-quarters had been hit. Off the final turn, High Flyin Filly surged to the front, with Cheryls Shadow coming along the pylons late for the second spot less than a length back. Rocket Deo faded to third.

Owned by Pennsylvania's Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, High Flyin Filly, who was fifth in the opening leg of the series last Friday, earned her second win in eight starts this year.

The five-year-old by Domethatagain out of Live The Extreme returned $17.60 to win and keyed a $140.50 exacta and $338.50 trifecta payout. 

Beautiful Seaside and driver Tim Tetrick put an end to the four-race win streak of Walkin On Sunshine in dramatic fashion, winning at 10-1 in the second division, completing her mile in 1:53 at the expense of the heavy favourite.

Tetrick got away from post two and allowed three of the seven mares to duke it out in the early stages. Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton) was first to the front on the opening bend and Lloyds Loves (Brent Holland) pursued before taking over shortly before the :27.2 first quarter was reached. 

Jason Bartlett made a bullet move with Walkin On Sunshine into the second turn and managed to back down the second quarter, reaching the halfway marker in :56.4. Bartlett had the favourite in gear down the backstretch, but Tetrick pulled the Scott DiDomenco-trained Beautiful Sunshine and got instant response, moving towards the leader with three-quarters clocked in 1:24.4.

Tetrick sensed the favourite was vulnerable and kept the attack heavy through the final turn with Beautiful Sunshine, a five-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside out of Your Beautiful, gutting it out and passing the favourite in the shadow of the wire. Walkin On Sunshine settled for second, beaten just a neck, with Silk Cloud A coming on late for the show spot.

Beautiful Sunshine has now won back-to-back in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, both times at decent odds, with her victory on Friday coming at a $22.40 win mutuel. The exacta with the favourite second paid $48.60 and triple returned $91.

Owned and bred by Matt Rowe of Urbana, Ohio, Beautiful Sunshine now has three wins overall this year from 11 starts.

The upsets continued in the third division as last year's champion Lit De Rose rallied in the homestretch for trainer/driver Pat Lachance to overtake the leaders in a 1:54 mile. The 10-year-old Leader Bayama-Intense mare was sent off as the 5-2 third choice in the field of seven.

The action was fast and furious in the early stages in this division as 2-1 favourite Turn The Page N (Ron Cushing) and Seaside Diva (Yannick Gingras) left hard from the inside and Talk Curdy To Me (Todd McCarthy) blasted from the outside of the starting car. Seaside Diva took control off the first bend but yielded to Talk Curdy To Me before the opening quarter, which was clocked in :27.4. Cushing had Turn The Page N making a second move shortly after the quarter and the pair held control through a :56.4 half-mile.

Lit De Rose and Lachance fished cover from Seaside Diva late on the third turn, but when Talk Curdy To Me vacated the pocket, Seaside Diva returned to the pylons, and Lit De Rose closed the gap behind Talk Curdy To Me in second-over position. With the leaders duelling through a 1:25.2 three-quarters, Lachance was poised and called on the soon-to-be 55-time career winner for her best in the stretch, and Lit De Rose finished in style, securing the victory late by a neck. Turn The Page N fought bravely with horses on both sides for the place spot, with Millwood Bliss N on the scene late for third.

Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, Que. owns and bred Lit De Rose, who went over the $1.5 million mark in career earnings with the win -- her first of the year following a fifth-place finish in her season's debut last week in the series.

Lit De Rose paid $7.70 to win and keyed the $26.60 exacta and $98 trifecta payoff.

A favourite finally had her moment as Aardie B Miki N and driver Jason Bartlett made a power move past Grace Hill off the final turn and rolled off to an easy score in a 1:53.2 clocking in the fourth and final Matchmaker division.

Grace Hill (David Miller) took control off the first turn from Uptown Hanover (Todd McCarthy) and set a reasonable pace to the quarter of :28.2. Miller was in no hurry, slowing the second quarter to a half in :57.3 with Bartlett sitting chilly in fourth with the prohibitive favourite, Aardie B Miki N.

Bartlett got instant acceleration from Aardie B Miki N down the backstretch and she reached Grace Hill nearing the 1:25.3 three-quarters. Once on even terms, Aardie B Miki N had too much power and made quick work of the leader, posting a :27.4 final quarter. Grace Hill held gamely for second ahead of Intothemysticmoon (Yannick Gingras) more than three lengths behind.

Aardie B Miki N earned her second straight Matchmaker victory for trainer Per Engblom and owner/breeder Mike Tanev's M T Stables Ontario Inc. of Scarborough, Ont. Aardie B Miki N's two series scores give her a perfect two-for-two record this year since arriving in North America.  

The five-year-old Always B Miki-Tatijana Bromac mare returned $2.30 to win while heading a $5.60 exacta and $31.20 trifecta payoff.

The win was Bartlett's fourth on the 11-race card.

The preliminary rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through Friday, April 25, with the leading point earners advancing to the $200,000 USD final on Friday, May 9. 

The MGM Borgata Pacing Series will have its second preliminary round on Monday, April 7 with five $50,000 USD divisions. The featured event is race nine where round one winners Verdun (post one), Mossdale Ben N (post six) and Aardies Flash N (post seven) square off. Also looking to improve to two-for-two in the Borgata will be For Once Inmy Life (post one, race seven) and Binge On Yankee (post four, race eight).

The John Brennan Trotting Series then picks back up on Wednesday, April 9 with a trio of $30,000 USD splits of the second leg. The series will have a third round on April 16 before a $100,000 USD guaranteed final and $50,000 USD guaranteed consolation on April 23.  

Continuing for every Monday and Friday card during the legs of the Borgata and Matchmaker, Yonkers, in conjunction with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, will offer a $20,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool in race five. The guaranteed Pick 5 pool on Mondays is also a part of the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program.

Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

(With files from Yonkers Raceway; photo of Lit De Rose winning the 2024 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final)