A trio of $15,000 divisions of the third and final preliminary for the M Life Rewards Ladies Pacing Series for fillies and mares were featured on Tuesday night's (March 16) card at Yonkers Raceway.
Pettycoat Business, Paiges Girl and Turnthefrownaround were victorious, with the first two picking up their second wins in the series and Turnthefrownaround on track for a potential series sweep.
Pettycoat Business, sent at 1-9, took over the lead going to the :28 opening quarter in the first flight, then proceeded to cruise through a :56.4 half and 1:24.4 three-quarters on her way to a four-length tally in 1:54.1. Dragon Roll finished second from the pocket, with Flirty Forty third.
A four-year-old Art Major mare, Pettycoat Business is trained by Scott Di Domenico for co-owner/breeder Michael Robinson and his ownership partners Robert Mondillo, R.B.H. Ventures Inc., and Gilbilly Stable. Pettycoat Business now has a record of 5-5-4 from 19 tries and has earned $145,973. Pettycoat Business, who paid $2.10 to win, led a $3.20 exacta and a $5.30 trifecta. George Brennan drove the winner.
Similar tactics worked for Paiges Girl in the next section, as she posted fractions of :29, :57.3, and 1:26.3 on her way to a one-and-three-quarter length victory in a final time of 1:55.4. P L Nelly was second at 17-1, and Avaya Hanover finished third at odds of 31-1.
Lance Hudson trains Paiges Girl, a four-year-old by Captaintreacherous, for owner William Hartt. Paiges Girl is now an eight-time winner from 19 lifetime efforts, and she has pocketed $64,441. Paige's Girl returned $6.40 to win as the 2-1 second choice and topped a $70.50 exacta and a $341.50 trifecta.
Brennan also guided Turnthefrownaround to a 1:55.2 win in the last split. Turnthefrownaround pulled out of the pocket on the way to a :28.2 opening quarter and cleared Ready Set Rock past that marker to take over command. Turnthefrownaround never really had an anxious moment from there as she sailed through a :57.2 half and 1:26.4 three-quarters before sealing the deal with a :28.3 final panel. She defeated Ready Set Rock by two-and-a-quarter lengths, with Break The Deal third.
The winner is a four-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe and is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and Phil Collura. Turnthefrownaround scored her seventh victory in her 32nd trip behind the gate, and she has now banked $144,660. Turnthefrownaround paid $2.80 to win as the 2-5 favourite and headed an exacta that paid $11.20, and a trifecta that kicked back $35.40.
The M Life Rewards Ladies Pacing Series wraps next Tuesday night (March 23) with the $57,800 final and $25,000 consolation. Series standings are available on Yonkers Raceway's website.
In other news from Tuesday night's card, 14-year-old Striking Sahbra gelding Watkins won the $9,500 third-race trot from post 8 in 1:58.4, vaulting past the US$1 million mark in lifetime earnings. Watkins is trained and owned by Michael Annunziata, and Jordan Stratton was in the bike.
Stakes racing continues at Yonkers on Wednesday (March 17) with the last leg of the M Life Rewards Gents Pacing Series for colts and geldings. Then, on Friday (March 19), pacing mares clash in three $35,000 divisions of the second round for the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series. Alexa Skye, Blue Ivy and Machnhope, who were victorious in the first leg of that event, have drawn in separate races again this time.
The fields for Monday's (March 22) second leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series have also been set, with 30 entrants divided into four $40,000 races. First-round winners Leonidas A (post 1, Austin Siegelman/Sheena McElhiney) and San Domino A (post 2, Todd McCarthy/Nancy Takter) lock horns in the third split, and two of the other leg one victors, Hesa Kingslayer N (post 2, Jim Marohn Jr./Michael Deters) and Let It Ride N (Dexter Dunn/Richard "Nifty" Norman), head up Monday's last MGM Borgata tilt. First race post time for all of that upcoming action is 7:15 p.m. (EDT).
(Yonkers Raceway)