Yonkers: Opening legs of the Matchmaker, Levy are drawn

Yonkers Raceway’s race office found itself quite popular this (Monday) afternoon, as among the usual Friday/Saturday double draw there were plenty of big girls and big boys.

Friday night’s (March 16) opening round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker saw four consecutively-carded (races 7 through 10) divisions, each worth $40,000. Conveniently, 32 high-end lasses were parsed into the quarter of eight-horse fields.

Defending series champion Mackenzie A, who resurfaced here last Friday (March 9) in a qualifier, makes her seasonal purse debut from post position No. 7 in the final division. Jordan Stratton again does the honors for the now-6-year-old Down Under daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven.

Peter Tritton trains for Von Knoblauch Stables and Ellen Kinser.

Saturday evening’s (March 17) beginning of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series goes with five, $50,000 Free-For-All divisions (races 4 through 7 and 11). Each race was neatly filled with a seven-horse field.

Last season’s series winner, Keystone Velocity, makes his ’18 debut from outside his six rivals in the second event. Dan Dube again takes a seat for co-owner/trainer Rene Allard. Now a spry 10-year-old, Keystone Velocity comes off a career-best $783,000 season in 2017.

Each series offers five preliminary legs—ladies first Fridays, guys Saturday—with both finals set for Saturday night (Apr. 21).

-edited release (Frank Drucker for Yonkers Raceway)