Shelliscape Impresses In 'Matchmaker'

Published: April 12, 2014 12:56 am EDT

Yonkers Raceway Friday night hosted the fourth round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker for Open mare pacers. Three $40,000 divisions went postward.

The first event saw Breeders Crown champ Shelliscape (Tim Tetrick, $7.20) get off the series schneid with a handy, down-the-road effort (:27.3, :57, 1:24, 1:52). Winning the draw, she played “Catch Me If You Can,” and they could not.

Ramalama (Matt Kakaley) was unable to sustain a first-up bid, while Monkey On My Wheel (Brian Sears) could match strides from the pocket. Monkey On My Wheel did get second - beaten three-quarters of a length - with Ramalama third. Charisma Hanover (Yannick Gingras) and Bettor B Lucky (George Brennan), as the 13-10 favoured entry, finished fourth and sixth (last), respectively.

For third choice Shelliscape, a five-year-old daughter of Artiscape owned by Bamond Racing and trained by P.J. Fraley, it was her first win in four seasonal/series starts.

“She had no luck with the draw the last two weeks, but she’s a mare with class,” Tetrick said. “It was no fluke she won the (Breeders) Crown. Tonight, I was able to rate a cheap half, then she was strong down the back…27 (second) third quarter and 28 (second) home.”

As was the case with Shelliscape, defending Matchmaker champion Feeling You was flying under the radar until this evening. Leaving from post four with Tyler Buter doing the honours, Feeling You operated from second-over. That didn’t seem so opportunistic when pole-sitting Rocklamation (Gingras) — 50 percent of the just-over-even-money favoured entry - rated a cheap half (:28, :57.3).

Also not helping the cause for Feeling You was Anndrovette (Tetrick), who was first-up and into a vacant pocket when Angels Delight (Brennan) gapped it badly. Rocklamation maintained her advantage in and out of a 1:25.2 three-quarters, taking a half-length lead into the lane. Feeling You, left to fend for herself, continued her assault on the leader. She out gamed Rocklamation by a head in 1:53.1, with Anndrovette third, beaten a half-length.

For fourth choice Feeling You, an Alan Kirschenbaum-bred seven-year-old daughter of Cambest co-owned by driver, Stephen Oldford & Oldford Farms and trained by Amber Buter, she returned $32.60 for her first board finish in five ’13 tries.

“She just felt good,” Buter said of harness racing’s newest millionairess ($1,014,148). “When Tim (Tetrick, with Anndrovette) dropped into the pocket, I had thought about getting in behind him, but my mare just acted like she wanted to keep going, so I stayed outside. We took our time getting ready her ready this season. A year ago, we brought her back early for a series at the Meadowlands that wound up being cancelled. I just hope she can be this good the next couple of weeks.”

The third and final Matchmaker mélange of the evening had Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube, $6) throw down the gauntlet with the fastest mile of the series to date.

Leaving from Post 5, Yagonnakissmeornot made the first lead before yielding to a fumbly-early 4-5 favourite in Somwherovrarainbow (Sears). After a :27.1 opening quarter-mile and :55.4 intermission, it was Krispy Apple (Tetrick) trying her luck first-up.

That one couldn’t sniff the leader before a 1:23.4, three-quarters, with Somwherovrarainbow owning a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. However, she was powerless to deny Yagonnakissmeornot, who edged from the pocket and rolled away. That final margin for the second choice was 2-½ lengths in a season’s-best 1:51.4 Third went to Royal Cee Cee N (Ron Pierce).

For Yagonnakissmeornot, a five-year-old daughter of The Panderosa co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard, Yves Sarazin and Kapildeo Singh, she’s now 6-for-10 this season (3-for-4 in Matchmaker).

Friday’s $38,000 Open Handicap Trot was won by favoured DWs NY Yank (Brennan, $4) in 1:54.3 – the fastest local mile of the season.

The George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series continues Saturday night, with three, $50,000 divisions (races 4, 5 and 11 on the 12-race card) in that fourth division.

(Yonkers Raceway)

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