Yonkers: Pelling pair has sights set on Blue Chip Matchmaker success

The 2025 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series arrives on Friday night with a revamped purse structure and a solid group of nominees that led to four $50,000 divisions carded on the Yonkers program. Trainer Brett Pelling has never started a horse in the series before but has two quality mares ready to battle, with Walkin On Sunshine, undefeated in three starts this year over the Yonkers strip, primed for the lucrative series.

"She's been dynamite since I got her," said Pelling of the 5-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin that shipped east this winter and has dominated the Invitational Mares category over the Yonkers half-miler.

"You can do anything you want with her, she's quite versatile," said Pelling, who believes that attribute will go a long way in a series. "She doesn't have to be on the front-end to win."

Walkin On Sunshine has been absent from the races for a month, with Pelling suggesting that there were no races that filled as he tried to give his mare a race in preparation for the series. To keep her fresh Pelling put Walkin On Sunshine in a qualifier at the Meadowlands on March 22, and she showed explosive speed in the stretch, circling the field with a 25 4/5 final quarter and in the process roaring past the $1.9 million-earning Grace Hill. Jason Bartlett, who drove Grace Hill in the qualifier, returns to the bike on Friday where Walkin On Sunshine landed post five in the sixth race and second $50,000 division.

Walkin On Sunshine faces six rivals, including Lit De Rose, the now 10-year-old mare that captured last year's championship, and has qualified three times for trainer-driver Pat Lachance in advance of her 2025 debut. Lit De Rose drew post three.

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In the seventh race and third Blue Chip Matchmaker division, Rocket Deo will be making her 4-year-old debut for Pelling from post four in a field of seven.

"I wish I had a few weeks more," said Pelling, who ideally would have liked to have a race first prior to the stakes event for Rocket Deo.

A winner in a qualifier at the Meadowlands on March 22, Rocket Deo has won half of her 22 lifetime starts with $500K banked, predominantly as a sophomore. Pelling is ill-concerned with the fact the daughter of Captaintreacherous has never raced around a half-mile track.

"She'll have no trouble getting around it," Pelling said of the Yonkers half-mile oval.

Rocket Deo looks to be making Blue Chip Matchmaker history of sorts as the mare is out of the 2012 series champion Rocklamation. Back in 2012 as a 4-year-old, Rocklamation won the prestigious event for trainer Ron Burke. A daughter of Rocknroll Hanover, Rocklamation would race in the series and make the final in 2013 and 2014 as well.

How Rocket Deo will handle older competition remains to be seen, with Friday's field including some veteran performers with a wealth of experience over the Yonkers oval. Lloyd's Loves (post one) has been on the board in six of her seven starts this year and has proved a worthy purchase by trainer Edwin Quevedo, who snagged the oft-winning mare last fall and has campaigned her at the top level since.

Grace Hill spent some quality time at Yonkers last fall, winning a pair of Invitationals in November before tackling Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh in the FanDuel at the Meadowlands. Trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. has the 7-year-old daughter of Always B Miki primed for another season, with Friday's debut a first for her in the Blue Chip Matchmaker. Grace Hill landed post five in the last of the four $50,000 stanzas and will need to be ready against a solid field.

The 4-year-old Seaside Diva has been a monster over the last two years in Ohio for trainer Ron Burke, having earned more than $800K on the Sires Stakes scene and beyond. The daughter of Downbytheseaside had a prep race at Harrah's Hoosier Park on March 21 in advance of the Blue Chip Matchmaker and should be solid from the pole position on Friday night.

Trainer Jeff Cullipher has a pair in the series opening leg, with Uptown Hanover (post three), a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, testing the top level of the division following a breakout campaign in 2024 that saw her finish in the money in 26 of her 37 starts while banking nearly $170K in the process. Uptown Hanover was a winner at Yonkers in December, likely giving ownership the incentive to nominate to this series.

The opening division of the Blue Chip Matchmaker, carded as race four, marks the North American debut of Aardie B Miki N, a 5-year-old daughter of Always B Miki with impressive credentials racing in Australia last year, including nine wins in her 18 starts. Aardie B Miki N (post six) has not raced since November but looked lively in a single qualifier last Saturday (March 22) at the Meadowlands for trainer Per Engblom. Racing from off-the-pace with Jason Bartlett at the controls, Aardie B Miki N seemed within herself, pacing home in 26 3/5 in a second-place finish behind Rocket Deo.

Trainer Cullpher's Talk Curdy To Me has plenty of experience at Yonkers and makes her 5-year-old debut from the rail in this division. As a 4-year-old in 2024, Talk Curdy To Me was first or second 15 times in her 27 starts and she has the ability to race on all sized tracks.

Though it is Pelling's first go-round in the Blue Chip Matchmaker, he fully understands what's necessary to reach the final. "I expect to race in all of the legs," Pelling said, knowing that means five straight weeks of races. "I'll probably give her (Walkin On Sunshine) an extra day off each week to keep her fresh," said Pelling with an eye on what is certain to be the richest Blue Chip Matchmaker final in the race's history on May 9.