Yonkers: Undefeated Matchmaker mare looks to maintain 'Amazing' form

Amazing Dream N's stature was well known when she arrived in the United States early in 2022. Having just raced against some of the best male competition in Australia in successive races where she did not win but in fact finished in front of Lochinvar Art A, Amazing Dream N was primed to embark on the task of taking on the best mares in training in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series.

Trainer Linda Toscano had Amazing Dream N qualified in time for the race, but things didn't work out exactly as planned.

"It was difficult for her to get acclimated," said Toscano, looking back 13 months ago. "She was coming from the summer down there to the winter up here and just couldn't make the transition."

Toscano credits the owners for thinking of the horse and not pushing the panic button. A later start would be in Amazing Dream N's interest, and the Bettor's Delight-sired lass proved competitive against a stellar group of mares that included defending Horse of the Year Test Of Faith.

Bad luck again cut into Amazing Dream N's chances of adding to her hefty bank account as she turned up sick and missed the TVG Mares final in November.

After a short rest, Amazing Dream N was back qualifying at the Meadowlands in February. "I gave her that third qualifier because I wanted to be sure she was ready for the series," Toscano said.

The finishing touches have proved priceless for the connections as Amazing Dream N will head into the fourth leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series as the points leader and the likely favorite for the April 24 final.

Amazing Dream N drew the pole position in the third of three $40,000 divisions on Friday night (race eight) and will face two other leg three winners in Incaseyoudidntknow (post two) and Dougs Babe A (post five). Of interest is that Dougs Babe A has taken the same path Amazing Dream N took last year, having raced in Australia in February before shipping to the States for stakes competition. That said, unlike Amazing Dream N, Dougs Babe A was not up against the same type of company she campaigned against.

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In the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series Yannick Gingras has guided Amazing Dream N to three wins, with each looking easier than the one before. In her first round victory Amazing Dream N coasted wire-to-wire off soft fractions. In her second leg win she gave last year's Blue Chip Matchmaker champion Drama Act the advantage of setting the pace before pouncing on that rival and winning decisively in 1:52. In last Friday's (March 31) third leg Amazing Dream N let Racine Bell cut the pace and then pulled early on the final turn to draw clear in a season's-best 1:51 4/5 clocking.

"Yannick's gotten some great trips with her," said Toscano.

Gingras picked up the drive last year in the Milton Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park and then in the second start behind the mare nearly beat Test Of Faith in the $250,000 Dayton Distaff on October 1, cutting the entire pace but getting nailed near the wire in a second-place finish.

With much of the elite aged mare collection currently prepping for action, Amazing Dream N has a chance to add significantly to her $1.31 million in career earnings in this series and then go on to tackle others later this season.

"We've staked her to everything," Toscano confirmed, while clearly not looking much past this Friday's action.

With three wins to date and points no matter where Amazing Dream N finishes on Friday, Toscano is under little pressure to race in the fifth preliminary on April 14, but she's not committed to any scheduling until after Friday's contest.

First leg winner Karma Seelster will likely need another victory at some point to reach the final, and that opportunity could come on Friday as she landed post two in the first $40,000 division (race three). She faces a well-matched group that includes Lit De Rose (post five), a Quebec-bred mare that's finished on the board in all three legs without a victory.

Drama Act has a win and a second in the series and could lock up a spot in the final with a victory on Friday night. The 6-year-old from the Ron Burke stable landed the pole position in the second $40,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker division (race six) for driver George Brennan. Fourth to Amazing Dream N in her last start when raced from off-the-pace, expect the daughter of Well Said to assert herself from the inside track.

The 11-race card at Yonkers gets underway at 7:00 P.M. Friday.