Yonkers: Bartlett sweeps Blue Chip Matchmaker divisions

The preliminary rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares concluded on Friday night at Yonkers Raceway with Jason Bartlett driving Mach It A Par and Regil Elektra to victories in their respective $40,000 events.

In the first division Bedroomconfessions (Scott Zeron), who had two wins in the series and was returning after a week off, led the way through panels of 27 4/5, 57, and 1:25 4/5, but she was overtaken on the final turn by a first-over Hidden Land (Tim Tetrick), with Mach It A Par and Bartlett following that move. Hidden Land was clear turning for home, but Mach It A Par rallied to her outside and charged by for the victory in 1:53 2/5. Hidden Land was second, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, and Divas Image (Joe Bongiorno) took third. Bedroomconfessions, who was sent off at 2-5, backed up to sixth and last in the lane.

The victorious 7-year-old daughter of Mach Three is trained by Richie Banca for owners D`Elegance Stable Ix, Carmen Iannacone, T L P Stable, and The Gandolfo Stables. Mach It A Par, who returned $7.80 to her backers as the 5-2 second choice, now has 35 lifetime tallies and a bankroll of $629,449. Mach It Par raced all five weeks of the Matchmaker, picking up two wins, a second, a third, and a fifth.

Bartlett would then guide Regil Elektra home in the other section. She was pocketed behind Krispy Apple (Tetrick) through stations of 28 1/5, 56 3/5, and 1:24 2/5, then found room in the passing lane turning into the stretch. Lispatty (Brian Sears) had gotten past Krispy Apple from first-over, though, and was game all the way to the wire. However, Regil Elektra would not be denied, getting up in the dying strides for a 1:53 1/5 decision and beating Lispatty by a head. Shesjustadelight N (Ron Cushing) was a neck back in third, and Medusa (Matt Kakaley) another neck behind in fourth.

Regil Elektra, who finished fourth in the Matchmaker final last season and won three of her four preliminaries this year, is a 7-year-old Mach Three mare trained by Keith Armer for owner Fred Monteleone Stable LLC. She is now a 36-time winner in her life, and she has put away $830,328. Sent off as the 8-5 choice, she paid $5.50 to win.

The top eight mares in the point standings after the five weeks were Mach It A Par, Shesjustadelight N, Regil Elektra, Lispatty, Bedroomconfessions, Mackenzie A, Medusa, and Empress Deo, but the final determination of the mares eligible for the final and consolation will be made by the Yonkers race office, with the post draw occurring on Monday, April 17. The final will carry a purse of $310,600 and will be held next Saturday night, along with the final of the George Morton Levy Pacing Series.