A drizzling, foggy Friday night found Yonkers Raceway hosting the ladies in the second preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker

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Elusive Prey (Stephane Bouchard) lived up to her name in the first of three, $40,000 Open Mare divisions. Leaving inside her six rivals, she rolled through fractions of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:25, en route to a season's-best 1:54 effort.

She defeated Double Dream N (Brent Holland) by a measured length, with Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance) a pocket third. Still Electric (Greg Grismore), the tepid 2-1 choice, was caught wide leaving, offered minimal first-over and wound up a well-beaten last.

For Elusive Prey, a five-year-old daughter of Western Hanover trained by Kevin Johnson for co-owners Rebecca Williams and Joe and Joann Thomson, she paid $7.10 (third choice) for her third win in 10 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $70.50, with the triple returning $150.50.

Bouchard, sidelined much of the season with a pinched nerve, was reunited with the winner's circle for the first time since Feb. 17.

Nip N Attack (Jordan Stratton), the 13-10 favourite, had no problems repeating her opening-leg rout. Leaving from post position No. 3, she wired her half-dozen foes through divisions of :28, :57.2, 1:25.3 and 1:54.4. Up Front Bethann (Ryan Anderson) chased from second, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, with Western Graduate (Jim Pantaleano) closing from last to grab the bottom of the ticket.

For Nip N Attack, a five-year-old daughter of On the Attack co-owned by Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey and trained by Chris Oakes, she paid $4.70 for her fifth win in 11 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $24.60, with the triple returning $209.

Events couldn't have played out any better for Sportsfancy (Jason Bartlett) in the final Matchmaker grouping.

Leaving from post No. 5 in her series debut, the now-$700,000 career earner took in an early floor show with a lot of leavers. Pancleefandarpels (Stratton), a Round 1 winner, quarter-moved around Goon BB (Grismore) after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile. Chancey Lady (Cat Manzi), the 3-5 choice after last week's blowout win of her own, was four-wide leaving before settling fifth.

"Pancleef" found a zippy :55.3 intermission, with Chancey Lady moving to engage. Sportsfancy was more than happy to tag along going down the backside and toward the 1:24.2 three-quarters.

Pancleefandarpels held a tenuous lead turning for home, with Chancey Lady to her outside and Sportsfancy ducking into the passing lane. Sportsfancy outgamed Chancey Lady by three-parts of a length in 1:53.3, with Pancleefandarpels a tiring third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths

For Sportsfancy, a five-year-old daughter of Sportsmaster trained by Josh Green for owner Larry Baron, she paid $12.80 (third choice) for her fourth win in nine '09 tries. The exacta paid $29.20, with the triple worth $74.50.

The undercard offered three, $12,500 divisions in Round 3--final prelim--of the Petticoat Pacing Series for three and four-year-old fillies and mares. The winners were:

• My Girl Pam, 4 (by Western Ideal); owner Cappy Stable/trainer Jeff Morris/driver Billy Dobson; (season's-best) 1:56.3/$10.20;
• Make A Bundle N, 4 (by In The Pocket); owner Pace Enterprises/trainer Dave Stratton/driver Jordan Stratton; (life-best) 1:56.3/$9.60;
• Dreams Bar, 3 (by Dream Away); owner-trainer Leah Vandervort/driver Jim Marshall III; (life's-best) 1:56.1 /$29.80.

Friday night's $40,000 Open Handicap Trot went to favoured Batalj Launcher (Bartlett, $4.10) in 1:57.4.

The George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, the Raceway's premier Free-for-All event, continues Saturday night with four $50,000, second-round divisions. The 11-race card also includes five, $12,500 trials in Round 3 of the Sagamore Hill Pacing Series for three and four-year-olds.

Next weekend's finals of both the Petticoat and Sagamore Hill are worth $63,400 (Friday) and $70,400 (Saturday), respectively.

(Yonkers)