Yonkers: Pacers ready to battle in Borgata, Matchmaker finals

The draws for Monday's mega-finals at Yonkers Raceway, where the $549,000 MGM Borgata and $381,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker will be the main attractions, set the table for what should be the best racing action of the season. As is generally the custom, the draw just starts interest in the events, while inevitably races seven and eight on the 12-race program should captivate all racing fans.

Just like the actual racing, the draw had its share of winners and losers. Trainer Ron Burke, who will send out a pair in the Borgata, including defending champion This Is The Plan and one of the favorites in the Blue Chip Matchmaker in Drama Act, was an early winner.

"I'm thrilled with the draw," Burke said on Wednesday, just hours after finding out that Drama Act landed the pole position for her contest and This Is The Plan drew post five, an improvement of three from last year's final post draw. Semi Tough, the second of Burke's entourage to reach the Borgata final, also did well with post two in the field of eight.

"I wish I had one more start in This Is The Plan," said Burke, who has seen the 7-year-old gelding hit some highs and lows in the five preliminary legs and hopes all systems are go as Yannick Gingras goes for a second straight title with the $2.6 million career winner.

"I'm putting up Joe [Bongiorno] to drive Semi Tough," said Burke. "For Semi Tough this is the biggest opportunity to make money in his career."

Already a winner of $800,000, Semi Tough ironically was almost bounced from the final in last week's fifth round of preliminaries when he finished seventh and earned no points after getting caught up in a speed duel with a Joe Bongiorno-driven rival. The two will connect for more meaningful money on Monday.

Perhaps no one was happier than trainer Chris Ryder after the draw put two-leg winner and co-track record holder Tattoo Artist on the pole position for the lucrative final.

"It's our race to win," said Ryder, hoping to put a positive spin on the early good fortune. "The little guy is coming into the race in great shape."

Dexter Dunn will again be in the bike behind the newly-minted millionaire Tattoo Artist, and he appeared enthusiastic about the current form of the 5-year-old by He's Watching.

"I think this was his best performance of the series," Dunn said following the 1:51 3/5 effort this past Monday [April 18]. "The best part about him is how quickly he can just take off."

That explosive speed may now be reserved by Dunn, who shouldn't have to work as hard to be near the front in Monday's finale.

"I wouldn't mind sitting behind This Is The Plan," said Ryder after looking over the program. "I thought he (Tattoo Artist) raced well coming out of the pocket in the fourth leg."

Indeed, the 1:51 effort on April 11 was a season's mark for Tattoo Artist.

The post position Gods were once again not very kind to Sheena Cohen, who will send out Leonidas A in this year's final. In the 2021 edition, Leonidas A drew post seven, and this year he's landed post six, but his trainer is a bit more confident this time around.

"He won all of his eliminations last year just like he did this year," said Cohen. "I feel a little better being in one slot. I also feel better because last year we were first learning something about him, and he came over here as a pure closer. This year, we were able to race him in some overnights, and he was able to get used to leaving the gate."

Driver Austin Siegelman has done a fine job with Leonidas A since his arrival in the States, and he'll once again be in the bike with the 7-year-old son of Mach Three in search of his eighth win of the year in just his 10th try.

"He felt awesome after last week's race," said Cohen of Leonidas A, who was used very hard in the early stages of a bitter first-half feud, yet managed to gut out a 1:51 victory while under attack from horses much more preserved off the fractions.

Nandolo N had two wins and two seconds in his preliminary legs, but the points earned didn't translate into a better draw, with the import landing post seven for trainer Shane Tritton and Yonkers' leading driver Jason Bartlett. While Nandolo N did show some speed leaving in the series, the draw will make it more difficult.

Completing the field for the MGM Borgata final will be two-leg winners Jacks Legend N (post three) with Matt Kakaley aboard, and Funatthebeach N (post four) with Jordan Stratton. Four-time leg runner-up Pat Stanley N landed post eight in the field with Todd McCarthy in the bike.

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The $318,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker saw the top two mares during the preliminary legs draw favorably. The Burke-trained Drama Act will start from the pole position with George Brennan in the bike, and Racine Bell (Jason Bartlett) landed right next to her from post two.

"I think with those two landing inside and having speed they should be one-two at the quarter," said Burke. "After that I expect to see a lot of movement because this is a very talented bunch."

Drama Act enters the race with three victories in the preliminary legs but a nose defeat by Karma Seelster in the final leg.

"I was happy with her effort," said Burke of the slim loss. "Sometimes the front-end catches up with her."

On Monday Drama Act must first deal with Racine Bell, as the 5-year-old, after a slow start to the season, has reeled off three consecutive wins in the series. More impressive is that Racine Bell has left little in doubt, scoring by open lengths in each round. The Dave Dewhurst-trained Racine Bell and Drama Act both have 25 career wins heading into Monday's final.

"She's quick and gives you all she's got all at once," said Dewhurst about Racine Bell.

While the posts may indicate a two-mare race, there are six viable candidates in the field that would like nothing better than to pull off a major upset. Trainer Cory Stratton has managed the 4-year-old Easy To Please smartly through the series legs, and the daughter of Roll With Joe landed prime real estate behind post three for the final. Easy To Please has done some of her best racing coming from off-the-pace, with back-to-back victories for driver Jordan Stratton in the first two rounds, strong closing efforts.

Trainer Nick Devita's Best Head West has been on the board in all five preliminary legs without the benefit of a victory. Nevertheless, the daughter of Bettor's Delight has been knocking on the proverbial door for driver Matt Kakaley and looks for the upset from post four.

Miss You N (Dexter Dunn) landed post five, with two-leg winner Mystical Carrie and driver Marcus Miller starting from post six.

Doug McNair makes a rare trip to Yonkers to sit behind the Ontario-bred Karma Seelster. A surprise winner in 1:51 1/5 over Drama Act on April 15, Karma Seelster will need to overcome post seven.

Keep Rockin A scored a 17-1 shocker in round four of the Blue Chip Matchmaker for driver Tim Tetrick. If the imported daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven wins on Monday, it would be an even bigger surprise.

Consolation races for both the Blue Chip Matchmaker and MGM Borgata series help support a 12-race card with in excess of $1.3 million in purses. First post is listed at 6:55 p.m.