The Blue Chip Matchmaker, Yonkers Raceway's premier pacing series for Open Mares, begins Friday night with four $40,000 divisions. The opening round attracted 30 of the series 44 nominees
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Post time for the 13-race card is 7:10 p.m., with the quartet of Matchmaker events going as races six through nine. Defending champion Ginger And Fred drew post position six in the second grouping.
Friday's card also includes five, $12,500 divisions in the second round of the Petticoat Pacing Series for three and four-year-old fillies and mares. They go as the first fives races on the program.
Opening round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, featured many of the lading Free-For-Allers in training, is scheduled for Saturday night and shall be drawn Tuesday afternoon.
Ryan Anderson Recovering From Weekend Wreck
Driver Ryan Anderson was injured this past Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway when the driving bit broke with Cheyenne Oxe in the first division of the Sagamore Hill Series.
The horse who was leading at the time of the incident (past the half-mile going into the third turn) wound up inside the pylons. Anderson jumped out of the bike, but his right leg was wound up in the driving lines. He was taken to nearby Lawrence Hospital (Bronxville, NY), for a three-hour surgery to repair a broken right ankle.
"They put in two plates and three screws," Anderson said. "My horse started running in right before it happened, and I began yelling to the other drivers that something was up. Once he was in the infield, I had to make a quick decision, and I decided to bail. I thought it was the right thing to do, but my leg wound up caught."
Anderson, who is scheduled to be released from the hospital Thursday, is hoping to return in about six-to-eight weeks.
"I do want say how grateful I am for all the calls and texts I've received since the accident," he said. "We moved our base here (Yonkers) back in 2009, and it's the best decision we've made. For now, I'm really just taking it one day at a time."
The 30-year-old Anderson, with more than 2,600 career wins and $25 million in purses, has recorded three, $3 million seasons since 2006.
Cheyenne Oxe was "caught" without incident.
(Yonkers Raceway)