Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker offered up Round 3 on Friday night (March 31), with another trio of $40,000 divisions for quite superior -- and quite soggy -- pacing mares fighting a persistent, wind-driven rain.
The third round’s first division saw Bedroomconfessions (Scott Zeron, $3.80) repeat as an odds-on winner.
Leaving from post position No. 5, Bedroomconfessions eschewed an early three-hole to take the lead from Krispy Apple (Brett Miller). The fave held sway (:29.1, :58.2, 1:26.4, 1:55.1), helped out in no small measure when second choice Mach It A Par (Jason Bartlett) violated the ‘shortest distance between two points’ theory and drifted drastically through the lane. Bedroomconfesssions took advantage of that detour to win by a nose, with Krispy Apple, Tessa Seelster (George Brennan) and For The Ladies N (Tim Tetrick) rounded out the payees. Throw in an outrun Quick Draft A (Mark MacDonald) and the six-pack finished in ascending pari-mutuel order.
For Bedroomconfessions, a five-year-old statebred daughter of American Ideal co-owned by trainer Tony Alagna (as Alagna Racing) and Riverview Racing, the win was her fourth in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $4.80, with the triple returning $8.10.
The second event saw Regil Elektra (Bartlett, $.40) negate her outside post No. 6 and last on the lead (:28, :58.2, 1:27.2, 1:56.2). She took over from pole-sitting, 3-2 choice Empress Deo (Matt Kakaley), then found the wire in time, beating a first-over Betabcool N (MacDonald) by a half-length and a from-last Mackenzie A (Jordan Stratton) by a length. Empress Deo and Change The Rulz N (Brennan) settled for the remainder, while a second-over Sandbetweenurtoes (Miller) was last among the six-pack.
For third choice Regil Elektra, a seven-year-old daughter of Mach Three owned by Fred Monteleone Stable and trained by Keith Armer, the win was her fourth in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $41.60, with the triple returning $135.
Friday night’s final Matchmaker grouping had Shesjustadelight N (Ron Cushing, $4.70) join Bedroomconfessions and Regil Elektra as two-leg series winners.
Away third from post No. 2, Shesjustadelight N watched as 4-5 fave Medusa (Kakaley) hopped over Divas Image (Joe Bongiorno) and lead the way (:29, :59.4, 1:27.4). Shesjustadelight N moved to challenge just as Divas Image was ending her evening, the former maintaining the momentum to win by a length in 1:56.4. Sell A Bit N (Stratton) couldn’t match strides with her tow, but did get into second at 25-1, with Medusa fading to third. Small checkers Lispatty (MacDonald) and Divas Image, then a trailing Al Raza N (Bartlett) rounded out the order.
For second choice Shesjustadelight N, a seven-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettors Delight co-owned by her driver & Kevin Sywyk and trained by Heidi Gibbs, the win was her second in five ’17 tries. The exacta paid $68, with the triple returning $107.50.
Round 3 of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series goes Saturday night (April 1), with four, $50,000 divisions.
A friendly reminder from Yonkers Raceway that Saturday evening’s Pick 5 wager starts with a carryover of $3,906.44.
The Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races seven through 11 (for programs with at least 11 races...if not, then it goes as races six through 10). It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Friday night), the entire pool (minus takeout) moves to the next racing program.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)