First round of Blue Chip Matchmaker ready to go

The first leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for harness racing pacing mares at Yonkers Raceway was drawn on Monday afternoon (March 13), with a total of 24 entrants necessitating a trio of $40,000 divisions on Friday night’s (Mar. 17) ten-race program.

In the first split (race four), there will be a rematch between Drama Act (Well Said, post four, George Brennan/Ron Burke) and Racine Bell (So Surreal, Jason Bartlett/Dave Dewhurst), the top two finishers in last year’s Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final. Those two also faced off in last Friday night’s (March 10) F&M Open Handicap Pace, and Drama Act won by a nose in 1:53.1.

Easy To Please (Roll With Joe, post seven, Jordan Stratton/Cory Stratton), third in last year’s Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final, is among the entrants in Friday’s second section (race five). Easy To Please also checked in behind Drama Act and Racine Bell in that F&M Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers last Friday. She’ll meet up with the likes of Lit De Rose (Leader Bayama, post three, Pat Lachance drives/trains), who won a leg of the Matchmaker and was second in the consolation in 2022.

Lucky Artist A (Artistic Fella, post five, Braxten Boyd/Ricky Bucci) has won two editions of the F&M Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers this year and will look to keep it going in the third flight (race eight). She’ll face a deep group that includes track record holder Gotthegreenlight (American Ideal, post two, Dexter Dunn/Nifty Norman), 2022’s Blue Chip Matchmaker Series consolation champion Gia’s Surreal (So Surreal, post three, Jason Bartlett/Ed Hart) and another Blue Chip Matchmaker Series finalist from a year ago in Karma Seelster (Sportswriter, post six, Matt Kakaley/Andew Adamczyk).

Preliminary round action in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through Friday, April 14 and will conclude with a $125,000 added final that should go for at least $250,000 on April 24. The final of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series and companion consolation races for both events will also occur that night.

Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time at 7 p.m. (EST).

Division 1 – Race 4

1-Alta Madeira N (Alta Christiano N) Tyler Buter/Rob Harmon
2-Wahs Fire Bug N (Mach Three) Tyler Buter/Amanda Kelley
3-Morning Has Broken (Dali) Jim Marohn Jr./Jared Bako
4-Drama Act (Well Said) George Brennan/Ron Burke)
5-Incaseyoudid w (Always B Miki) Jordan Stratton/Les Givens
6-Lydeo (Sweet Lou) George Brennan/Ed Hart
7-Racine Bell (So Surreal) Jason Bartlett/Dave Dewhurst
8-McMarkle Sparkle (McArdle) George Brennan/Scott Di Domenico

Division 2 – Race 5

1-Annerie N (Gold Ace) Scott Zeron/Todd Luther
2-Mabalene N (American Ideal) Jason Bartlett/Shane Tritton
3-Lit De Rose (Leader Bayama) Pat Lachance drives/trains
4-Uptown Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere) Jordan Stratton/Jeff Cullipher
5-Commander Cathy N (Captaintreacherous) Jim Marohn Jr./Scott Di Domenico
6-Amazing Dream N (Bettor’s Delight) Yannick Gingras/Linda Toscano
7-Easy To Please (Roll With Joe) Jordan Stratton/Cory Stratton
8-Dougs Babe A (Western Terror) Dexter Dunn/Nifty Norman

Division 3 – Race 8

1-Delitfulcatherin N (Bettor’s Delight) Jordan Stratton/Jeff Gillis
2-Gotthegreenlight (American Ideal) Dexter Dunn/Nifty Norman
3-Gia’s Surreal (So Surreal) Jason Bartlett/Ed Hart
4-The Pantheist A (Bettor’s Delight) Brent Holland/Marvin Aguilar
5-Lucky Artist A (Artistic Fella) Braxten Boyd/Ricky Bucci
6-Karma Seelster (Sportswriter) Matt Kakaley/Andrew Adamczyk
7-Majorca N (Art Major) Corey Callahan/Dylan Davis
8-Sweet Treasure (Sweet Lou) Andy McCarthy/Nancy Takter

For complete Friday race entries, click here.

From Yonkers Raceway