Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker saw its fourth preliminary round conducted over Friday night’s (April 5) ‘sloppy’ surface.
Three, $40,000 groupings of Free-For-All mares went at it, down one from a week ago.
Here was the moist rundown...
First division — The logical, two-speed number unfolded as such, with pole-sitting fave Dont Think Twice A (Jason Bartlett, $3.30) retaking from second-choice Feelin Red Hot (George Brennan), then holding that one off by a neck (:28.1, :58, 1:26.3, 1:55).
Twinkle (Scott Zeron) was a three-hole, best-of-the-rest third, with Obvious Blue Chip (Mark MacDonald) and Write Me A Song (Jordan Stratton) rounding out the remainder.
For Dont Think Twice A, a six-year-old Down Under Armbro Operative ma’am co-owned by trainer Andrew Harris, Arrhythmic, Pollack Racing and Jeff Cullipher, the win was her second in five seasonal starts (two-for-three in Matchmaker). The exacta paid $5.10, the triple (three wagering choices in order) returned $10 and the superfecta paid $41.20.
Second division — After a lengthy delay for track maintenance, just-over-even-money choice Bettor Joy N (Tim Tetrick, $4.10) read the memo just in time.
Third-over behind a gapper from outside post position No. 7, Bettor Joy N saw polester Ideal Lifestyle A (Brennan) battle with a two-moving Betterb Chevron N (Stratton) though intervals of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:25.2.
The latter would eventually win the battle before Bettor Joy N swooped in through her lane, prevailing in 1:54.3. The final margin was a going-away length-and-a-quarter. Betterb Chevron N saved second, with Camera Lady (Matt Kakaley) closing from last to grab the bottom of the ticket.
Ideal Lifestyle A and Shezza GNP N (Austin Siegelman) picked off the remainder.
For Bettor Joy N, a five-year-old Down Under daughter of Bettors Delight co-owned by her driver, Richard Poillucci & Jo Ann Looney-King and trained by Jim King Jr., the win was her fourth in five ’19 tries (three-for-four in Matchmaker). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $12.20, the triple returned $112.50 and the superfecta paid $274.
Third division — This was the Shartin N group.
Next.
The defending series champ (Tetrick, $2.20) was — from post No. 4 — the lone leaver, with a highly-predictable result (:28.3, :57.4, 1:26.2, 1:54.2). The margin was a length.
Second went a pole-protecting Kaitlyn N (Kakaley), while Medusa (Bartlett) sat third and wound up there. Sell A Bit N (Stratton) and a first-up Freakonomics (Zeron) settled for the smallest envelopes. Second choice Seaswift Joy N (Jim Marohn Jr.) could not get involved from behind the eight-ball.
For Shartin N, a six-year-old millionairess Down Under Tintin in America miss co-owned and trained by the same fine folks who bring you Bettor Joy N, the win was her third in four seasonal/series starts. The exacta paid $5.40, the triple returned $11.80 and the superfecta paid $107.
All three of Friday’s winners are well-positioned in the point standings to take next week’s final prelim off, should their connections choose to go that route. The final is set for Saturday night, April 20 (purse TBA).
Tomorrow evening’s (April 6) fourth round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series features four, $50,000 Free-For-All divisions.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)