Saranac Blue Chip polished a sweep of this year’s MGM Rewards Gents Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway with a 1:54.3 win on the front in the $57,800 final on Tuesday (March 29).
Driven by Jordan Stratton from post 1, Saranac Blue Chip made the lead with little dispute and set opening-half fractions of :27.2 and :57. Stratton then mashed the accelerator with Saranac Blue Chip on the third turn, and they opened on the rest of the horses on the way to the 1:24.3 three-quarters.
Nobody was able to make any headway on Saranac Blue Chip on the final bend. And though High Baller and Jet Ace did close in from second-over and third-over, respectively, Saranac Blue Chip hit the wire half a length to the good.
A four-year-old American Ideal gelding, Saranac Blue Chip is trained by Dan Morrissey for owner Leona Morrissey. This was his 10th win from 42 starts, and he has now earned $154,385. Sent the 6-5 favourite, Saranac Blue Chip paid $4.40 to win and was atop a $28.80 exacta and a $558.00 trifecta.
In a $30,000 consolation event of the series, Dance It Out sat in the pocket behind Samson Blue Chip through fractions of :28.2, :57.3, and 1:25.3, then tipped out two-wide on the last turn. Samson Blue Chip dug in gamely in the lane but Dance It Out wouldn’t be denied and got by him nearing the wire to prevail by a head in 1:54.1. Rhodena Road checked in third.
Bill MacKenzie trains Dance It Out, a four-year-old gelding by Sweet Lou, for owners Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice. Dance It Out has compiled a record of 6-4-5 from 22 appearances and has now banked $85,622. Dance It Out was the 2-5 choice and returned $2.90 to win. The exacta was worth $6.00 and the trifecta kicked back $20.40. Joe Bongiorno drove the winner.
Elsewhere on Tuesday night’s card, driver Tyler Buter was the star during the Pick 5 sequence, winning with 10-1 shots Genius Man and Son Of A Tiger N and 12-1 offering Morning Has Broken, leading to a $9,924.62 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in the wager tomorrow night (March 29). There's also a $2,761.37 carryover in the Pick 6.
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, will be available here. The Pick 5, which begins in race five, has a takeout rate of 20 percent.
There is plenty more stakes action ahead at Yonkers in the coming days, starting with the $56,400 final of the MGM Rewards Ladies Pacing Series on Wednesday night (March 30).
On Friday (April 1), Yonkers will play host to the third leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for open pacing mares. Mystical Carrie and Easy To Please, who improved to two-for-two in the series a week ago, are both off this week, but the likes of Miss You N, Drama Act, Dragon Roll, Karma Seelster, Blue Ivy, Scarlett Hanover and Racine Bell are in action in a trio of $40,000 divisions.
Finally, on Monday (April 4), there are five $50,000 flights of the third round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for free-for-allers. This Is The Plan, Western Joe, American Dealer N, and Ostro Hanover, who have all won a leg of the series thus far, meet up in the eighth race, and three of the second leg winners (Whichwaytothebeach, Jack's Legend N, and Nandolo N) face off in race nine.
Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday-Friday live racing schedule, with post time each night at 6:55 p.m. (EDT).
(Yonkers Raceway)