Canadian-owned pacing mare Aardie B Miki N stamped herself as the likely prohibitive choice in the final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series following another impressive victory in the fifth and concluding preliminary leg on Friday, April 25 at MGM Yonkers Raceway. 

The five-year-old Always B Miki-Tatijana Bromac mare won her fourth straight race in North America, posting a 1:53.1 mile in the second of three $69,444 divisions. 

Aardie B Miki N started from the pole position and driver Jason Bartlett allowed Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton) to clear on the opening bend. Scott Zeron pressed strongly, taking over off the first turn with Walkin On Sunshine, with Bartlett wasting little time getting off the pylons and rushing up to get the front past the :27.2 opening quarter.

Once in control, the 1-20 favoured Aardie B Miki N cut soft fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.2 with High Flyin Filly (Yannick Gingras) offering token pressure. 

On the final turn, Bartlett shook up the Per Engblom-trained mare and she responded in kind, keeping a safe distance to the wire, one length ahead of Walkin On Sunshine as Silk Cloud A also advanced late for the show spot.

Owned by M T Stables Ontario Inc. of Scarborough, Ont., the homebred Aardie B Miki N boosted her North American earnings to $141,864 on the season. She now has 13 career wins and total earnings of $344,316. 

She returned $2.10 to win while leading an equally short exacta of $4.90 and trifecta of $8.70.

Todd McCarthy guided Talk Curdy To Me to victory in the opening division, going overland for the final half-mile and wearing down pacesetter Coachellabound N on their way to a 1:54.1 clocking. 

Trained by Jeff Cullipher, Talk Curdy To Me was a winner for the first time in this series/season, having finished second, third and fifth in the other legs.

Coachellabound N (Brent Holland) charged out with Cheryls Shadow (Jason Bartlett) and Talk Curdy To Me on the opening bend. Coachellabound N gained control off the first turn, with both Cheryls Shadow and Talk Curdy To Me retreating into spots along the pylons. 

Coachellabound N had control through a 28-second first quarter and slowed the half to :57.2 before McCarthy was flushed out with Talk Curdy To Me at the half, followed by 7-5 favourite Cheryls Shadow second-over and Beautiful Seaside (Tim Tetrick) third-over.

The pace picked up on the backstretch with Talk Curdy To Me eating into the leader's margin but still on the outside through a 1:25.2 three-quarters. On the final turn, Talk Curdy To Me kicked into gear and overpowered the leader. The challenge from the favourite never quite came, with Talk Curdy To Me completing a :28.3 final quarter 1-1/4 lengths on top and Cheryls Shadow barely holding down the place spot ahead of Beautiful Seaside.

A five-year-old mare Ontario-bred mare by Betterthancheddar out of Keepers Destiny, Talk Curdy To Me is owned by Pollack Racing of Venetia, Pennsylvania. She surpassed the $500,000 career earnings mark with her 16th victory.

Talk Curdy To Me paid $12.80 to win and led an exacta worth $37.80 and a triple that paid $131.

Rocket Deo gave Bartlett his second Blue Chip Matchmaker victory of the evening when she captured the final division in 1:52.2, going virtually wire-to-wire in the process. 

Trained by Brett Pelling, who will have two mares in the final, Rocket Deo was a winner for the third straight time in the series.

Seaside Diva (Yannick Gingras) moved to the front on the first turn but was quickly under attack by the 2-5 favourite, Rocket Deo, who took control off the opening bend. Rocket Deo hit the quarter in :27.3 and was still going strong at the half in 56 seconds flat. 

Ron Cushing pulled Turn The Page N off the third turn to challenge but wasn't able to make up much ground as Rocket Deo paced to three-quarters in 1:24.1 and appeared to have the field at her mercy.

On the final turn, it looked to be a two-mare race with Seaside Diva gaining clearance into the lane, but Bartlett called on his mare and she responded with a solid :28.1 final fraction and a clear win. Seaside Diva held on late for second, three-quarters of a length back, with Turn The Page N third.

Owned by Morrison Racing Stables of Indiana, Pennsylvania and John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., Rocket Deo is a four-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous out of former Matchmaker champion Rocklamation. She earned her 14th career win and lifted her lifetime earnings over the $800,000 mark.

Rocket Deo returned $2.80 to win and keyed a $11.80 exacta and $19.80 triple payoff.

Unofficially, the eight mares who have advanced to the $490,000 USD Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final are:

• Rocket Deo (312 points)
• Walkin On Sunshine (300 points)
• Aardie B Miki N (300 points)
• Silk Cloud A (274 points)
• Turn The Page N (224 points)
• Seaside Diva (221 points)
• Beautiful Seaside (217 points)
• Talk Curdy To Me (217 points)

The Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final and the $516,000 USD MGM Borgata Pacing Series final, both of which will take place on Friday, May 9, will be the first two Grade 1 harness racing events in North America under the graded stakes system that begins this year.

Three $50,000 USD splits of the last round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series will take place on Monday, April 28. The top 15 horses currently in the standings are all set for action as spots for the final are up for grabs.

Additionally, Monday's card will have an $11,043.59 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in the Pick 5 sequence that starts in race five as there were no tickets that had five of five on Friday night. The guarantee in the Pick 5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program. Free past performances for the Pick 5, courtesy of TrackMaster, are available at handicapping.ustrotting.com. The Pick 5, which begins in race five and has a $1 minimum, has a takeout rate of 20 per cent.

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

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)