Seaside Diva put herself in the running for a spot in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final by capturing the first of three $69,444 divisions in the fourth round of the event for pacing mares at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night, April 18.
Driven by Yannick Gingras, Seaside Diva (pictured above) went to the front and never looked back, stopping the teletimer in 1:53.2 for her first win in five seasonal starts.
Seaside Diva took over from Dougs Babe A (Tim Tetrick) into the first turn and cut the opening fraction in :27.4 without a fight. Gingras had Seaside Diva marching strongly to the half in :56.1 with the field of seven in straight alignment going past that call. The classy Grace Hill (Matt Kakaley) moved first coming off the third turn and was followed by favourite Promiseland A (Jason Bartlett). Seaside Diva accelerated during the third quarter, pacing a solid 28 second fraction, making it difficult for the outer flow to contend, with Dougs Babe A struggling to keep the pocket closed.
Gingras let out a notch on the final turn, and the Ron Burke-trained Seaside Diva shifted gears, drawing away from the field. Grace Hill kept charging to the wire to make it with a half-length of the winner and was clear for second with Lloyds Loves (Brent Holland) finishing in overdrive and getting the show spot.
Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Let It Ride Stables, the millionaire homebred was a winner for the 18th time in her career from 36 starts.
The four-year-old Downbytheseaside-Real Diva mare returned $9.90 to win as the second choice. With Grace Hill second, the exacta returned $44.60 and longshot Lloyds Loves helped complete a $602 triple payoff.
Opening round winner Walkin On Sunshine found her way back into the winner's circle in the second Matchaker division as driver Scott Zeron steered the 2-5 favourite on a long coverless jaunt before eventually wearing down pacesetter Tarapasta in the stretch to win in 1:53.
Tarapasta left the gate sharply for Matt Kakaley and the second choice in the field put Lit De Rose (Pat Lachance) into a hole on the first turn and also forced Talk Curdy To Me (Todd McCarthy) to retreat on the opening bend, with the favourite Walkin On Sunshine getting away third. After an opening quarter in :27.3, Kakaley was able to rate the half nicely, with Tarapasta hitting that pole in :56.3. Zeron had waited comfortably in third with Walkin On Sunshine, but Turn The Page N (Ron Cushing) advanced sharply from off the second bend and flushed the favourite before the half was reached.
Walkin On Sunshine attacked under some rating, with Zeron inching her in next to Tarapasta through an accelerated three-quarters, reached in 1:24.4. The business got serious for the favourite from there and Walkin On Sunshine wore down the pacesetter in early stretch, then easily held off a solid bid late by Turn The Page N, who finished three-quarters of a length back, while Tarapasta settled for third.
Owned by Maynard Miller, Daniel Lehman and Michael Yoder, Walkin On Sunshine was a winner for the fifth time in seven starts this year for trainer Brett Pelling. The five-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin and Hattsoff Hanover is now 20-for-55 lifetime with $545,106 in career earnings.
As the favourite, who has finished no worse than second in the series, she returned $2.90 to win and keyed a $31.20 exacta and a $75.50 triple.
Rocket Deo gave Pelling a pair of Matchmaker wins on the card when she delivered on a 1-5 promise in the third division for driver Jason Bartlett in a solid 1:53.1 mile. The four-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous out of former Matchmaker champion Rocklamation also won for the second time in the series like her stablemate Walkin On Sunshine.
Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton) and Coachellabound N (Matt Kakaley) both left with high speed from the outside of the gate. Kakaley was able to squeeze into a hole on the first turn with Coachellabound N, with Silk Cloud A and Stratton taking the lead briefly from the favourite before Bartlett re-moved Rocket Deo for control well before the :27.3 opening quarter had been completed. Rocket Deo controlled the half in :56.1 and then began feeling some pressure when High Flyin Filly (Yannick Gingras) moved late on the third turn to go up without cover.
Rocket Deo was in command at three-quarters in 1:24.3 and Bartlett appeared confident as he opened ground in the stretch, eventually allowing Silk Cloud A a path to be clear for second, 1-1/4 lengths behind the winner. High Flyin Filly held ground late to hold on to the show spot.
Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding share ownership in Rocket Deo, a winner of 13 races in 26 lifetime starts and $773,751. She now sports a series and seasonal summary of 2-1-1 from four starts.
Rocket Deo paid $2.50 to win and keyed a $5.70 exacta and a $27.20 triple.
The preliminary rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will wrap up next Friday, April 25 with the leading point earners advancing to the $200,000 USD final on Friday, May 9.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)