Yonkers: Dougs Babe one of many imports in Blue Chip Matchmaker

Shipping horses from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere has been a custom for more than the last 50 years as North American horsemen import some of the best from Australia and New Zealand to race at the top levels. The process for many had been long and drawn out between the actual purchase transaction and the subsequent shipment and arrival.

Times have changed radically and for the good, as a horse racing in the opening leg of this year's Blue Chip Matchmaker can attest. Dougs Babe A raced in Australia on February 4 of this year and afterwards made the trip into Nifty Norman's stable. She debuts in stakes company following a qualifying mile on March 11 at the Meadowlands.

"We actually bought her three starts ago," said Norman of the Western Terror-sired mare that landed post eight in one of three $40,000 divisions at Yonkers on Friday night. "It actually worked out very well for us since she won her first two starts in December. One was in a $100,000 race [Group One 4-year-old mares final]."

Dougs Babe A may have saved time in traveling to this country, but she gained an extra year in the process.

"She was racing in 4-year-old stakes races," said Norman of the mare that's listed as a 6-year-old in North America. "We bought her from the same trainer who had Belmont Royale N."

Norman's Belmont Royale N, second in last Saturday's (March 11) feature at the Meadowlands, will go in the first leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers on March 20 (race four). "She was a bit more expensive than he was," added Norman about Dougs Babe A.

Dougs Babe A had a brilliant 4-year-old campaign, finishing first or second in 12 of her 19 starts, and Norman had the Blue Chip Matchmaker in mind when he and the owners of the mare made the purchase late last fall.

"I knew she'd be able to race on the smaller tracks," Norman said. "She was a top-five horse in Australia."

How was Norman able to make the purchase and get the mare to arrive as quickly as she did ready for action?

"I was able to get her registered with the U.S.T.A. before she even shipped over," said Norman. "As far as the shipping, it's gotten much quicker over time."

A late addition to the qualifiers put Dougs Babe A on the outside of the field last Saturday at the Meadowlands, but the trainer was most impressed with her effort. "She finished up pretty nicely," said Norman of the third-place finish with Dexter Dunn guiding the mare from far off-the-pace in the sprint home.

"She'll definitely need another run," said Norman of Dougs Babe A.

Given the outside draw in the initial Blue Chip Matchmaker leg, Norman suggested the mare would likely be coming from off-the-pace as she tackles new competition, as well as the quality of this year's open mare division.

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Imports make up a majority of the field in the fifth race second division of the Matchmaker, with four New Zealand-breds joining Dougs Babe A. That six others from Down Under will line up in the other two divisions is indicative of the dramatic impact imports have had on the depth of the top class of racing in North America.

While foreign horses are rich in the Blue Chip Matchmaker this year, the presence of 4-year-olds is rather limited. Just three of the 24 mares entered for the $40,000 opening legs were sophomores a year ago, and Norman is hopeful he's got one that can make an impact in the series.

Gotthegreenlight, a daughter of American Ideal, has had plenty of chances to race in New York over the last two years, and Norman's wish is that will make up for the difference in age among her rivals.

"She gets around the half really well. This is one of the only stakes we nominated her to," said Norman, who indicated that one owner bought out the other after Gotthegreenlight's 3-year-old campaign because he's more interested in racing.

Gotthegreenlight was a winner of the New York Sire Stakes final as a 2-year-old at Yonkers in 2021 and returned as a sophomore to capture the Park MGM Pace at Yonkers, along with a host of Sire Stakes over the half-mile track. Facing older mares in her qualifier (March 11) at the Meadowlands, Gotthegreenlight was a respectable third in a crisp 1:52 mile.

Another 4-year-old with even less racing experience than Gotthegreenlight makes her season's debut in this division (race eight) for trainer Nancy Takter. Sweet Treasure, a homebred daughter of Sweet Lou from She's Some Treasure, a full sister to Captaintreacherous, made just 13 starts as a sophomore in 2022, her first year of racing. She hit the board 10 times with earnings in excess of $184K. Perhaps the highlight of her season was a pair of third-place finishes in the Jugette elimination and final, finishing behind her stablemate Treacherous Dragon in the finale. Following a brief rest, Takter brought back Sweet Treasure for a qualifier on February 25 at the Meadowlands, and the mare was most impressive, pacing home in 1:54, including a 25 3/5 final quarter sprint. A week later (March 4) Sweet Treasure was even more imposing, going wire-to-wire in a 1:50 2/5 clocking for driver Andrew McCarthy, who will guide her from post eight in the final Blue Chip Matchmaker division.

Race eight also includes last year's Blue Chip Matchmaker consolation winner Gia's Surreal, making her second start of the year for trainer Ed Hart. The 7-year-old by So Surreal missed a few legs of the series last year due to sickness and thus didn't have the point totals necessary to reach the final. Hart has her ready with a qualifier and a trip over the Yonkers surface in advance of Friday's opening leg. Gia's Surreal went on to earn $289K while racing with the top mares in training through last November's TVG Mares Open Pace final at the Meadowlands.

The Blue Chip Matchmaker is part of a 10-race card on Friday at Yonkers that kicks off at 7:00 p.m.