$1.3 million in purses Monday at Yonkers

Yonkers Raceway will host the richest day of harness racing in North America this year on Monday, April 24 featuring the $549,000 final of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series and the $381,000 final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series.

Purses for the evening card at gets underway at 6:44 pm and total $1,368,000.

Tattoo Artist is the 7/5 morning line favorite in the MGM Borgata Final for older pacers, which is scheduled as race 8 on the program.

Starting from the rail, Tattoo Artist will be driven by Dexter Dunn and has won his two starts in the series, racing from both on and off the pace. His fastest victory, a 1:51 mile. He is one of two million dollar career winners in the race.

It will not be a walk in the park for Tattoo Artist as he takes on archrivals Leonidas A (post 6). He enters the rich final on a four-race winning streak for driver Austin Siegelman. All of his wins have come in the series, the fastest a 1:50.3 triumph which is tied as the fastest victory in the five-leg series leading to Monday’s Final.

Fans cannot count out Jack’s Legend N (post 3) for driver Matt Kakaley. He sports two wins in the series, scoring last week with a 1:52.3 victory and earlier in the series in 1:50.3 to tie Leonidas A for the fastest mile.

Every horse in the field except for Pat Stanley N (post 8) has won a leg of the series. Completing the field are standouts Semi Tough (post 2), Funatthebeach N (post 4), $2.6

The older mares compete in the 7^th race $381,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Final million winner This Is The Plan (post 5) and Nandolo N (post 7).w

Of the eight starters in the final, five are from either Australia or NeZealand.where Drama Act and Racine Bell, the two toughest mares in the series, will go at it.

Drama Act drew the rail post position for driver George Brennan and is the 2-1 morning line favorite. She just lost by a head to Karma Seelster (post 7) last week and prior to that scored two wins in the series, the fastest a 1:51.1 triumph. She has won three legs of the Matchmaker.

Racine Bell goes from post two for driver Jason Bartlett and the five-year-old mare sports four wins and three second place finishes in her seven starts so far this year. Last week she won in a romp in 1:51.2.

Then there is Karma Seelster, who beat Drama Act last week and due to a driving conflict, will be driven for the first time by Doug McNair, who ships in from Toronto, CA to driver her.

Completing the field are Easy To Please (post 3), Best Head West (post 4), who is the only horse not to have won a leg of the series, Miss You N (post 5), Mystical Carrie (post 6) and Keep Rockin A (post 8).

In addition to the two rich finals Monday at Yonkers there is a $100,000, $75,000 and $50,000 consolation races for horses that competed in the series.

For a free race program for Yonker’s rich Monday night program, click here.

By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink