The second legs of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for open pacing mares and the MGM Borgata Series for free-for-all pacers are ahead at Yonkers Raceway on Friday (March 19) and Monday (March 22), respectively.
Alexa Skye, Blue Ivy and Machnhope were the round-one winners in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, and they will all have a chance to improve to two-for-two as they have drawn in separate $35,000 divisions again.
Alexa Skye (post 3, Todd McCarthy/Jeff Cullipher), who has four wins and two seconds from six starts this year, leads the opening flight, which is the second race on the program. Her main competition appears to be Siesta Beach (post 4, Matt Kakaley/Nick Devita), who was third last Friday.
Blue Ivy (post 4, Tyler Buter/Todd Buter) posted a 6-1 upset in winning a week ago. In this Friday’s third race, she faces off against two second-place finishers from the first leg: Seaswift Joy N (post 3, Andrew McCarthy/Tony Alagna) and Soho Burning Love A (post 6, Tim Tetrick, Jim King Jr.).
Machnhope (post 3, Andrew McCarthy/Noel Daley) was victorious in impressive fashion from first over in her opening-round section, and is riding a two-race win streak into Friday night’s fourth dash on the program. She’ll meet against the likes of Caviart Cherie (post 2, Matt Kakaley/Nick Devita), who was second to Machnhope last time out.
A total of 30 horses entered Monday’s second round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, leading to four $40,000 divisions being carded.
Leonidas A (post 1, Austin Siegelman/Sheena McElhiney) and San Domino A (post 2, Todd McCarthy/Nancy Takter) meet in the third division (Race 6) after both scoring wins in the opening round of the series, and fellow first-leg winners Hesa Kingslayer N (post 2, Jim Marohn Jr./Michael Deters) and Let It Ride N (post 8, Dexter Dunn/Richard “Nifty” Norman”) clash in the final section (Race 7).
As for the other MGM Borgata Pacing Series tilts, Backstreet Shadow (post 5, Tim Tetrick/Ron Burke) is the morning-line favourite in the first section (Race 3) after finishing second to Leonidas A, and Tyga Hanover (post 1, Jason Bartlett/Andrew Harris) will look to improve on his runner-up effort behind San Domino A when he heads to the track in Monday’s second MGM Borgata test (Race 4).
Preliminary round action in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series continues through Friday, April 9, and in the MGM Borgata Series until Monday, April 12. The finals of both series are scheduled for Monday, April 19.
Yonkers Raceway continues with a Monday-Friday live schedule, with post time at 7:15 p.m. (EDT).
(Yonkers Raceway)