Yonkers: 2025 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series starts Friday

Harness racing's Grand Circuit begins for 2025 on Friday night (March 28) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with four $50,000 divisions of the first round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for older pacing mares.

Coachellabound N (post five, Jason Bartlett listed for trainer Ricky Bucci), who was second in last year's Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final, is among the entrants in the first section (race four). She'll face five rivals, including Aardie B Miki N (post six, Bartlett listed for trainer Per Engblom), a Group 1 race winner in Australia who makes her U.S. debut off a strong qualifier at the Meadowlands.

Last year's Matchmaker champion Lit De Rose (post three, trainer Pat Lachance listed to drive), headlines the second split (race six). She'll take on the likes of Walkin On Sunshine (post five, Bartlett listed for trainer Brett Pelling), who is three-for-three in the F&M Invitational at Yonkers thus far in 2025.

Rocket Deo (post four, Bartlett listed to drive for Pelling) makes her 4-year-old debut in the third flight (race seven). Rocket Deo, whose stakes wins a year ago included the Shady Daisy on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands, is matched up against six foes, among them Silk Cloud A (post five, Jordan Stratton listed to drive for trainer Peter Tritton), a two-time runner-up in the F&M Invitational at Yonkers this year.

The last Matchmaker tilt is race eight and former Dan Patch Award winner Grace Hill (post five, Bartlett listed to drive for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.) headlines the field of seven. Looking to defeat her will be the likes of Ohio Sires Stakes champion Seaside Diva, who makes her first start on the East Coast from post one for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.

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Here are the Blue Chip Matchmaker fields in their entirety with the listed drivers and trainers:

Division #1 (Race 4)

1-Talk Curdy To Me (Todd McCarthy/Jeff Cullipher)
2-Magical Maya A (Matthew Athearn/Larry Stalbaum)
3-Factory Girl (Tim Tetrick/Scott Di Domenico)
4-Easy To Please (Jordan Stratton/Cory Stratton)
5-Coachellabound N (Jason Bartlett/Ricky Bucci)
6-Aardie B Miki N (Jason Bartlett/Per Engblom)

Division #2 (Race 6)

1-Millwood Bliss N (David Miller/Nifty Norman)
2-Cheryls Shadow (Brent Holland/Doug Dilloian Jr.)
3-Lit De Rose (Pat Lachance drives and trains)
4-Turn The Page N (Ron Cushing/Heidi Cushing)
5-Walkin On Sunshine (Jason Bartlett/Brett Pelling)
6-Intothemysticmoon (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
7-Tarapasta (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)

Division #3 (Race 7)

1-Lloyd's Loves (Brent Holland/Edwin Quevedo)
2-High Flyin' Filly (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
3-Dougs Babe A (Austin Siegelman/Nifty Norman)
4-Rocket Deo (Jason Bartlett/Brett Pelling)
5-Silk Cloud A (Jordan Stratton/Peter Tritton)
6-One Last Wish (Jordan Stratton/Jeff Gillis)
7-Arizona (Jordan Stratton/Melissa Beckwith)

Division #4 (Race 8)

1-Seaside Diva (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
2-Lydeo (Jason Bartlett/Doug Dilloian Jr.)
3-Uptown Hanover (Todd McCarthy/Jeff Cullipher)
4-Beautiful Seaside (Tim Tetrick/Scott Di Domenico)
5-Grace Hill (Jason Bartlett/Virgil Morgan Jr.)
6-True Blue Hanover (Matt Kakaley/John Balzer)
7-My Red Sea (Jason Bartlett/Joe Bongiorno)

The preliminary rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through Friday, April 25 with the leading point earners advancing to the final on Friday, May 9. A major change in 2025 revolves around the added money for the final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker, which gets a boost from $125,000 to $200,000, equaling the MGM Borgata Pacing Series total. With that increase the Blue Chip Matchmaker final will certainly offer the richest purse in recent history and far eclipse the $276,200 purse from 2024.

Speaking of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, that event kicks off on Monday, March 31, and the draw for the first round will take place on Tuesday (March 25).

MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently racing Monday through Friday nights with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

--press release (Yonkers)--