Four divisions for opening round of Matchmaker

Harness racing’s Grand Circuit schedule for this year gets going on Friday night (March 18) at Yonkers Raceway with the first leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares.

Thirty-one horses were dropped into the box when it closed on Monday (March 14), meaning there will be four $40,000 divisions (races five through eight) on the 12-race program.

Defending series champion Machnhope drew post seven in the first flight for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley, and owners Deo Volente Farms LLC., Tom Pontone, and L A Express Stable LLC. The 7-year-old Mach Three mare won her last start at the Meadowlands in 1:52.1 and will look to add to her career bankroll of over $652,000 in this race. She faces the likes of Lit De Rose (post three, trainer/driver Pat Lachance), who won the last edition of the Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Yonkers on March 11.

The second split features a pair of mares who have both had three-race win streaks at Yonkers in 2022. McMarkle Sparkle (post three, George Brennan/Cad Gregory) hasn’t lost since invading from Ohio in mid-February, while Best Head West (post four, Matt Kakaley/Nick Devita) tallied in all three of her local appearances last month before stepping up to the Open level, where she’s been third twice.

A deep group faces off in the third split. Blue Ivy (post one, Tyler Buter/Todd Buter) won multiple legs and was second in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final a year ago, Racine Bell (post two, Jason Bartlett/Dave Dewhurst) was fourth in the Breeders Crown final in 2021 as part of a campaign that saw her bank $288,420, Dragon Roll (post four, Tyler Buter also listed for trainer Ricky Bucci) has been a standout at the Open level at Yonkers for several months), Scarlett Hanover (post five, Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke) won the Jugette final over eventual Horse of the Year Test Of Faith last year, and Miss You N (post seven, Dexter Dunn/Virgil Morgan Jr.) impressed in two qualifiers at the Meadowlands and then tallied there in an overnight event on March 11 in 1:52.

Karma Seelster (post four, Jordan Stratton/Andrew Adamczyk) has had a great deal of success on half-mile ovals through her career and will look to continue that in Friday’s last Blue Chip Matchmaker Series match-up. She was the winner in the F&M Open at Yonkers back on March 3.

The Blue Chip Matchmaker Series goes for five preliminary rounds, with the last leg scheduled for Friday (April 15). The final will take place on Monday, April 25.

Friday’s program at Yonkers gets underway at 6:55 p.m.

From Yonkers Raceway