After stepping up through the ranks, Tonys Mom is ready to step out for her Grand Circuit debut when the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for older female pacers begins on Friday, March 15 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Tonys Mom, who has been worse than second only twice in her past 12 races, is the 8-5 morning-line favourite in the second of three $40,000 USD Matchmaker divisions at the Hilltop. The Matchmaker, which features five preliminary rounds followed by the $125,000 USD added final on April 22, kicks off the 2024 Grand Circuit season.
Five finalists from last year’s Matchmaker Series will compete in Friday’s opening round, including runner-up Lit De Rose and third-place finisher Dougs Babe A. The remaining three are Incaseyoudidntknow, Karma Seelster and Racine Bell.
The top eight horses at the completion of the Matchmaker’s five preliminary rounds are eligible for the final. Horses receive 50 points for winning, 25 for second, 12 for third, eight for fourth and five for fifth. In addition, all starters in each round receive 25 points.
Tonys Mom, owned by Brian Gordon and Matt Morrison, was purchased near the end of her three-year-old season in 2022. Since then, the daughter of Heston Blue Chip-Donna Lee has been first or second in 27 of 37 races, winning 15 and earning just over $260,000.
Her most recent victory on Feb. 23 came in an Invitational for female pacers at Yonkers, where she defeated a field that included six mares entered in the Matchmaker.
“That really gave us some confidence going into the series, but there are some very good mares in there,” said Gordon. “We’re pumped up to watch her race this week. She’s been a lot of fun. She’s won a lot of races and brought us a lot of excitement. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Tonys Mom made one start at age two, then had 17 races under her belt at three before being sold. She raced four times the rest of the year for her new connections, all at Saratoga Casino Hotel, where she posted three wins and a second.
After beginning 2023 at Saratoga, Tonys Mom was sent to trainer Per Engblom in April. She competed at Yonkers and The Meadowlands and ended her campaign with 10 wins in 28 races and $165,726 in purses.
“At the time, she was a lightly raced three-year-old that fit some of the non-winners classes,” Gordon said about buying Tonys Mom. “Originally, I sent her to Saratoga to race there. She did pretty good up there in some softer company and worked her way up the ladder and got her confidence up.
“Then we brought her to New Jersey to race in the big leagues basically. I sent her to Per Engblom and she just kept getting better and better and stronger and stronger. The better the competition, she stepped up each time. She never showed a bottom. She had a pretty solid year.
“She was so sharp at the end of the year; we didn’t really want to stop with her. We gave her a brief turnout, kept her sharp and she’s been amazing this year so far.”
Tonys Mom has enjoyed success at Yonkers. She won a Can You Go The Distance Series last year — sweeping races at a half-mile, mile, mile-and-a-sixteenth and mile-and-a-half — and has four victories and two seconds in her past seven races there.
She will start her Matchmaker assignment from post one with Yannick Gingras in the sulky.
“We drew the rail and avoid Mikala and Lit De Rose this week, so that’s probably a positive too,” said Gordon. “Now we just have to hope we get some racing luck.
“She’s got a great gait and her endurance is incredible. There is no end to her. She’s just full of herself. Per and his team have done an amazing job with her. We’re all pretty excited. I’m glad Yannick stayed with her, so he showed some confidence. We were thrilled for that.”
Mikala, a six-year-old multiple Grand Circuit winner who is two-for-two this year, is the 2-1 morning-line favourite in the first Matchmaker division. Lit De Rose, a nine-year-old, is 5-2 in the same six-horse group.
Seven-year-old Racine Bell, who finished second by a nose in the 2022 Matchmaker final, is the 2-1 morning-line choice in the third division.
On Monday, the six-week MGM Borgata Pacing Series for older male pacers begins at Yonkers. The first round will feature four divisions going for $50,000 USD each.
Racing begins at 7 p.m. (EDT) at Yonkers. For a free Friday program from the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, click here.
(USTA)