Yonkers: Yagonnakissmeornot leads Matchmaker final

While Foiled Again and the $567,000 Levy Memorial final will have the spotlight on the Saturday card at Yonkers Raceway, the $371,400 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series championship for older female pacers is sure to be one to watch. Series points-leader Yagonnakissmeornot will try to cap a strong performance in the event.

Yagonnakissmeornot finished the preliminary rounds with three consecutive wins and had four victories overall. She will start from post No. 2 for driver Daniel Dube and trainer Rene Allard.

“She’s been doing everything right,” Dube said. “With an inside post, it should be good. But she can race anyway you want; she doesn’t need a trip. She can do it the hard way.”

Last week, Yagonnakissmeornot started from post seven, used a first-over move at the halfway point and wore down leader Scandalous Hanover by the final turn en route to a one length victory in 1:53 2/5.

“I had to ask her a little on the backside, but at the wire she could have still done another lap,” Dube said. “She can make the other (horses) tired. She can grind and keep going. She can kind of be on the lazy side, but if you ask for a little more, she gives you more.”

The Matchmaker field also includes defending series champ Feeling You and 2012 winner Rocklamation. Somwherovrarainbow, who was the Dan Patch Award winner for best 2-year-old filly pacer in 2012, starts from the rail.

Rocklamation, who drew post three for the final, finished second by a head to Feeling You in her most recent start on April 11.

“She’s been really good,” driver Yannick Gingras said about Rocklamation. “She can’t do the dirty work, so post three should be a good spot. We’ve got the two best horses inside of us and we can see who is going to cut the mile and maybe get a good trip. She had a week off and she’s usually very good when she’s fresh.”

-Courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, please visit www.ustrotting.com