Can Dougs Babe A continue winning ways?

Can Dougs Babe A continue her winning ways?

That is the big question come this Friday (April 14) at Yonkers Raceway with the fifth and final preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for harness racing pacing mares.

There are three $40,000 divisions Friday and going for her third straight win in the series is Dougs Babe A (Western Terror), who drew the rail in the 6^th race. The other two divisions are the 3^rd and 8^th races.

Most everyone racing Friday are seeking valuable points to hopefully be one of the eight finalists in the $350,000 (est) Blue Chip Matchmaker Final on Monday, April 24. That same evening the card at Yonkers will also feature the $500,000 (est) final for the MGM Borgata Series for the horses.

Dougs Babe A was recently purchased and imported from Australia back in late February. A six-year-old mare, Dougs Babe A was an impressive performer in Australia. Last year she started just 19 times with five wins, seven seconds and two third place finishes.

Joining the stable of R. Nifty Norman, Dougs Babe A wasted little time getting acclimated to racing in the USA. She qualified at the Meadowlands, raced twice at Yonkers with a third place finish and then entered the Matchmaker Series with impressive results.

“When we bought Dougs Babe,” Nifty Norman explained, “we knew she was a good mare (maybe not this good) lol, but she was racing great in Australia. I thought she would be a nice little horse for Yonkers and so far, she has lived up to that expectation.”

In her first try in the series she raced super for driver Dexter Dunn. Moving first-over in the backstretch, Dougs Babe A was able to grind it out for a 1:53 triumph by one and one-half lengths.

The last week, Dunn sent Dougs Babe A after the early lead, was parked out to the first quarter, then sat a pocket trip to Amazing Dream N and beat her to the wire to win again, this time by a head in 1:53.2.

This Friday Dougs Babe A will be put to the test once again as she tries for her third straight win in the series, a feat that no one has yet to accomplish.

“As for the rail,” Norman said about Dougs Babe A on Friday. “That’s always an advantage. I think she will be able to leave enough to hold her position.”

Her main rivals will be Karma Seelster (Sportswriter) in post 3, who won an opening round of the series and was second by a head last week. She will be driven by Matt Kakaley.

Also, a major contender will be Lit De Rose (Leader Bayama) from post five for trainer-driver Pat Lachance. Last week Lachance raced the eight-year-old mare from behind. They were fifth at the top of the stretch and closed with a :27.1 last quarter mile to win by a head over Karma Seelster in 1:52.4. She has yet to finish worst than third in the series and has raced in every leg so far.

In the 3^rd race first division Friday, Lucky Artist A (Artistic Fella) is the lone horse in the field that has won a Matchmaker leg. She will start from post two for driver Braxten Boyd.

The 8^th race third division features last year’s Blue Chip Matchmaker Series Final Winner, Drama Act (Well Said), who in her last start wired the field by a head in 1:53. She has drawn the rail for trainer Ron Burke and driver George Brennan. Drama Act has won two legs of the series.

Another contender in the field is Racine Bell (So Surreal) in post two for driver Jason Bartlett. She won a leg of the series and has been second in two other legs.

For a free Friday race program, click here.

For complete Friday race entries, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink