Yonkers: Zeron drives have win opportunities in Matchmaker, Borgata

Scott Zeron has been on the comeback trail since an injury sidelined him last season. He's picked up some solid mounts along the way and hopes with a little bit of luck to find himself in the finals of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker and MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway on April 24. For that to happen, things may have to align perfectly in the Matchmaker, while he's already in good position to lead Jimmy Freight to the big dance in the Borgata after two rounds of action.

This Friday he's poised to get the ball rolling with the 5-year-old Hot Mess Express, a Tony Alagna trainee with $848K in career earnings. Hot Mess Express landed the pole position in race six on Friday night at Yonkers in one of three $40,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker divisions.

"We're a little behind with her as far as the series goes," said Zeron. "She had two good qualifiers and then made her first start in the second leg. I think she's right where we want her to be now."

Post one is good news for Hot Mess Express, a 22-time career winner who has been a major presence in Indiana during her first three years on the track, as well as Grand Circuit action. On Friday, Zeron will be in a good spot, but if Hot Mess Express is going to pick up valuable points to reach the final, she'll have to deal with the cream of the series crop as two-time winner Amazing Dream N (post two), as well as last year's one-two finishers - Drama Act (post six) and Racine Bell (post five) - are part of the deep division.

In order to drive Hot Mess Express, Zeron booked off second leg winner Lydeo (post eight), who he drove in her first two starts in the series.

"I'm driving Hot Mess Express the rest of the way. I love the horse and I love the connections," said Zeron, pointing to owner Sam Bowie, the former University of Kentucky basketball star.

Zeron is hopeful luck plays a role in the eighth race Blue Chip Matchmaker division where he'll guide Annerie N, a 6-year-old mare for trainer Todd Luther.

"She's actually been pretty good finishing in both starts," said Zeron, who guided her against Amazing Dream N in both legs and managed a sixth- and fourth-place finish.

"It's tough when you don't have that much early speed. You need to work out a trip for her," said Zeron about Annerie N, who landed post three in a field that includes leg winners Karma Seelster (post one) and Lucky Artist A (post seven).

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Jimmy Freight returns for the third leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday with Zeron listed to drive from post seven in the $50,000 ninth race. Jimmy Freight had some road trouble in the opening leg, finishing second, and then captured last week's second division convincingly during a driving rainstorm, with Zeron and others waiting anxiously after a long inquiry. Jimmy Freight had gone inside three pylons in the homestretch but after review, the judges determined that the horse did not gain an advantage while slightly off course.

"In the first leg he got a good trip, but I never really had clearance to get through in the stretch," said Zeron of the second-place finish behind Hellabalou on March 20. "Last week he really got to the lead easily and we were able to get easy fractions. He finished strongly with the earplugs in."

Zeron is acutely aware of the difficulties of navigating the five-leg Borgata Series, with attention to earning valuable points while at the same time preserving the horse for the rich final.

"It's all about load management," said Zeron. "[Trainer] Brett [Pelling) expects him to get better each week, and it's my job to put him in position."

Jimmy Freight is quite handy over the half-mile track, and that will certainly help this week and beyond. With Monday's outside draw, Zeron wouldn't tip his hand exactly as to what he expects but he noted "I'm not taking back to seventh."

Jimmy Freight will be more seriously tested this week as he'll start outside two-leg winner Idealsomemagic A, a horse Zeron had plenty of respect for.

"He's been sensational," said Zeron of the rival that paced in 1:51 2/5 last week, a full second faster than Jimmy Freight. "I didn't race in the later races last Monday [March 27] but the track was a bit cuppy," continued the driver on the likely time difference later in the evening after rains had subsided.

While Zeron is hopeful of getting Jimmy Freight into the Borgata final, he hasn't lost hope that Oakwoodnitownit IR (post one) could find a spot as well. An open competitor at Yonkers throughout the winter, Oakwoodnitownit IR drew poorly in the opening two legs and managed a sixth- and fourth-place finish along the way.

"If I had found room in the first leg I think he could have been second or third," Zeron said of the effort on March 20 behind Hellabalou.

With just six horses in the third race and first division on Monday night, Zeron could use position to his advantage. That said, the short field includes the 2021 Borgata champion This Is The Plan (post three), Nandolo N (post four) and a rejuvenated Backstreet Shadow (post five).

The first race for both the Friday and Monday Yonkers cards start at 7:00 p.m.