Cory Stratton taking it all in stride

Cory Stratton knows that when it comes to harness racing, it can be any kind of ride. So even as the 29-year-old is enjoying his first tastes of training success on the Grand Circuit, he is taking it all in stride.

Stratton and his brother, driver Jordan Stratton, have teamed up to win two preliminary rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for older female pacers with Easy To Please. The 4-year-old mare sat out last week’s third leg of the event but returns as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the first of three $40,000 fourth-round splits Friday at Yonkers Raceway.

Easy To Please, who has provided Cory Stratton with his first two Grand Circuit triumphs thanks to her wins in the series, is tied for fifth in the Matchmaker’s point standings. The top-eight horses at the completion of five preliminary legs are eligible to advance to the Blue Chip Matchmaker final on April 25 at Yonkers.

In addition, Stratton-trained Pat Stanley N has posted second-place finishes in each of the first three preliminary rounds of the MGM Borgata Series for older male pacers at Yonkers. The 8-year-old gelding is tied for third in that event’s standings and competes in the third of four $50,000 fourth-round divisions on Monday at The Hilltop.

“It’s incredible,” Stratton said. “We’ve put in a lot of work and I’m just happy everything is paying off. I thank all the owners, and all the trainers and grooms that I’ve learned from and have helped me out, as well as my wife (Vicki) and my brother. I still can’t believe how lucky I’ve been. I can’t even put it into words.

“I don’t expect anything. I like to keep my head down and stay humble and just go on the ride. I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve been successful, and I’ve been not successful. You just have to know that anything can happen.”

Easy To Please, a daughter of Roll With Joe-Lorrie Please, has three wins and two seconds in five starts this year. Stratton has trained the mare since last September and shares ownership of her with Our Three Sons Stable, which was among the group that purchased Easy To Please as a yearling.

For her career, Easy To Please has won 10 of 28 races and $206,185. She has hit the board in 11 consecutive starts, winning five and finishing second on five occasions.

“I really like how mature and how smart she is,” Stratton said. “She does anything you ask of her. She’s just a real pleasure to be around.

“She was really progressing toward the end of last year. We wanted to put her in (the Matchmaker) and see how she stacks up. Many of the top mares in the country are here. We were just hoping for some success, and she’s done her job. So far, so good.”

A 4-year-old has won the Blue Chip Matchmaker championship three times in the 13-year history of the event. The most recent was Somwherovrarainbow in 2014. The others were Rocklamation (2012) and Ginger And Fred (2010).

Easy To Please had raced five weeks in a row before skipping last week’s third round of the series.

“We knew going in that we were going to skip a week,” Stratton said. “We decided last week was the better week. That way if she is in the final, it will be her third straight start. Hopefully, she will be as tight and as sharp as she can be.

“But she is still going to have to perform to make the final. She drew (post six) Friday in a six-horse field, but I think she will be fine.”

Racine Bell, who has two wins and a second in the series, tops the Matchmaker standings with 200 points. She was not entered this week.

Of the remaining horses in the top eight, Drama Act, Mystical Carrie, and Best Head West compete in Friday’s second Matchmaker division while Miss You N and Karma Seelster are in the third. Dragon Roll, who is eighth in the standings with 133 points, was not entered.

As for the Borgata Series, Pat Stanley N is among a group of 23 horses separated by 100 points in the standings. Nandolo N, with two wins and a second, leads with 200 points. Spots three through 22 are separated by 50 points, which is the number of points a horse receives for a victory. Horses also get 25 points for each start in the event.

Pat Stanley N’s two most recent losses were by a nose and a head.

“It’s tight,” Stratton said about the Borgata standings. “It’s awesome to just say we’re a part of it. He’s really surpassing our expectations. Putting him in, we wanted to see how he stacked up. He hasn’t raced all the top ones yet, but he’s shown he can go with them if he draws well.

“He’s been super to drive. He used to get a little hot in a race, but Jordan said he’s been perfectly mannered. He can just chirp to him, and he will take off whenever Jordan wants him to. He races his heart out every week.”

Racing begins at 6:55 p.m. EDT at Yonkers. For Friday’s complete entries click here. For Monday’s complete entries, click here.

For the Blue Chip Matchmaker standings, click here. For the MGM Borgata Series standings, click here.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA