Yonkers: Camille captures final Matchmaker leg; final field set

Yonkers Raceway Friday night hosted the fifth and final preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker of Open Pacing Mares.

One lonesome, $40,000 division attracted six lasses, with odds-on Camille (George Brennan, $3) barely holding sway over Krispy Apple (Tim Tetrick) in 1:53.

The former, starting inside her five foes, saw both Palm Patrol (Mark MacDonald) and Krispy Apple in play early, with Krispy Apple looping Palm Patrol to make the first lead.

It was Camille then finding the front before a 28-second opening quarter-mile, then a 56 4/5 intermission. For the Ladies N (Brian Sears) tried it from third, engaging the leader in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters.

However, Camille rejected those advances, taking a three-quarter length lead into the lane. She then encountered a passing-lane Krispy Apple, with the second choice missing a scant schnozz. Strings (Eric Carlson) wound up third as the 67-1 rank outsider.

For Camille, a 7-year-old daughter of Camluck co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable and Jack Piatt III, it was her third win in eight seasonal starts (2-for-4 in series). The exacta paid $4, with the triple returning $23.80

It should be noted that the first three leading ladies through four Matchmaker rounds—Carolisideal, Venus Delight and Yagonnakissmeornot—all took this week off, their invites to the final solidified. They are to be joined next week by Camille, Monkey on My Wheel, Fancy Desire, Krispy Apple and Strings.

The finals of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker (purse $261,000) and George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series (purse $529,000) go Saturday night, Apr. 25.

- edited release (Frank Drucker)