Yonkers: Catch An Ace captures Petticoat trophy
Catch an Ace (Jason Bartlett, $6) rallied from third-over Monday night (March 25th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $58,000 ‘blanketed’ final of the Petticoat Pacing Series.
Though open to 3- and 4-year-old ladies (non-winners of four races and/or $40,000 through last Dec. 1st), no ‘youngsters’ qualified for the finale.
Away fifth from post position No. 5, Catch An Ace watched as outside numbers Cabowabocuttie (Jordan Stratton) and Ghosttothepost (Yannick Gingras) both left hard.
The pair looped 9-5 favorite Robyn Camden (Dexter Dunn), who was hung up three-wide early (outside the eventual winner) before settling in sixth. Cabowabocuttie seated Ghosttothepost, then led through intervals of a flat 28 seconds and 58 1/5.
Odds On Ashley (Matt Kakaley) was the first to take the bait, moving from third. She towed Ella Is Awesome (Joe Bongiorno) and Catch an Ace, while the hellish trip of Robyn Camden saw her fourth-over.
Cabowabocuttie maintained her lead in and out of a 1:26 4/5 three-quarters, about the time Catch an Ace went three-deep around Ella Is Awesome.
The lead remained unchanged off the final turn, with Cabowabocuttie owning a length-and-three-quarter advantage. The lass would give way—grudgingly—in the scrum to the line. Catch an Ace picked off a stubborn Odds On Ashley by a head in 1:56, with Robyn Camden widest of all, the circuitous route ending with her finishing third, beaten just a neck.
Cabowabocuttie and Ghosttothepost rounded out the payees....the first four finishers separated by that neck, while the quintet of payees were divided by a length-and-three-quarters.
Ella Is Awesome, Bye Hanover (George Brennan) Parkin’ In Heaven (Tyler Buter) completed the order.
“I thought I was in a bad spot,” Bartlett said. “Fortunately, they came back to us.
“I mean, she can leave, but I did not want cut the mile. She needs a helmet to chase. I figured we were going to win by a bit more, but she started running out in the lane. I was wondering what was going on, but she found the line.”
For second choice Catch An Ace, a 4-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight owned by Jeffrey Williamson and trained by Andrew Harris, it was her fifth win in nine seasonal starts (career 14-for-26, $135,094). The exacta paid $20, the triple returned $52 and the superfecta paid $217.50.
Owner and trainer combined (with driver Stratton) to sweep the 2017 Petticoat with Cousin Mary.
A $30,000 series consolation was an 11 3/4-length romp by odds-on She’s Pukka N (Mark MacDonald, $2.70) in a life-best 1:54 1/5.
Tuesday night (March 26th) offers the $60,200 tribute to Teddy Roosevelt affectionately known as the final of the Sagamore Hill Pacing Series.
-edited release (Frank Drucker for Yonkers)