Berry has hope at Yonkers

If everyone from Illinois has as much success in New York as Pat Berry and Tony Morgan did Friday night at Yonkers Raceway, then Barack Obama should be one happy camper as the two, who made names for themselves in the Land of Lincoln, visited the Land of Loot on this night. Berry grabbed the night's biggest prize, guiding Delightful Hope to victory in the $64,000 final of the Petticoat Pacing Series for 3- and 4-year-old fillies and mares.

The 4-year-old daughter of Real Artist was sitting chilly early as Ladytrix (Stephane Bouchard)--the lone filly in the field--left like a shot from the eight hole.

However, hers was a cursed crusade, seemingly from the outset. Even as Ladytrix looped the other leavers, "she never grabbed the track," Bouchard said. Rough-gaited early and often, Ladytrix did make the lead passing a torrid :27.2 opening quarter-mile.

Monte Carlo Madam (Tim Tetrick) pressed the isuue from her inside draw, while Julie's Operator (Larry Stalbaum) was parked for her troubles..

Coming out of the second turn, the wheels came off of Ladytrix for good (not really, but you know where we're going with this). She made a break and left the course ("stuck a toe in the ground," was the assessment of her trainer, Linda Toscano), ending the bid for a Hopeful-Petticoat series double.

Monte Carlo Madam, sent postward as the tepid 2-1 favorite, took over before the :57.1 ntermission, but a fresh threat was on the horizon. Delightful Hope--unhurried in the first portion from post position No. 6--was sent three-deep in the third turn around the fading Julie's Operator, and was soon up and after the leader.

"Madam" and Delightful Hope blazed through a :28.4 third quarter, with the latter actually opening up two lengths turning for home. However, Monte Carlo Madam had one more round in her chamber. She tested Delightful Hope in deep stretch, but could not get by. Delightful Hope prevailed by a hard-fought neck in a season's-best 1:56.1.

Brissonte Hanover (Tom Jackson) skimmed the cones for third at 37-1, while Galaxy Girl (Morgan) and Blue Ocean Hanover (Greg Grismore) earned minor moolah. Love Card (Jeff Gregory), Julie's Operator and an unfortunate Ladytrix completed the official order.

For Delightful Hope, it was her fifth win in seven seasonal starts. She returned $15.60 (fourth choice), leading a $78.50 exacta and $1,034 triple. The victress, co-onwed by Sylvia Burke, Bethann Palone, M1 Stable & Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Mickey Burke, more than doubled her '07 stash coming in and now has career earnings in excess of $126,000.

"I was afraid I might have moved her too early," Berry said. "She has that one brush, and I didn't want to see the other filly (Monte Carlo Madam) get away from me. She was getting tired, but when she saw (Monte Carlo Madam), she dug in.

"I didn't know anything about her coming into the series, just that the owners just recently bought her (Feb. 14) and they said I should try to stay with her when she came here."

Sage advice.

As for Morgan, all he did was sweep both halves of the $35,000 undercard in down-the-road fashion with a pair of performers in Westchester debuts.

JM Vangogh, having won two of his last three Dover Open Handicap events, made short work of this straight-draw Open Trot. Leaving from post four, the 7-year-old son of Earl never had an anxious moment, strolling through fractions of :28.4, :58.2, 1:27.2 and 1:56.2.

Even-money was easy money for JM Vangogh ($4), now three-for-five on the season for co-owner (with John Mello) and trainer Paul Chambers. He defeated KD Girl (Gregory) by 2 1/4 lengths, with Always a Stormin (Bouchard) along for the third. The exacta paid $21.60, with the triple worth $74.

GE's Jen took it to the house in the Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace. Leaving from post six after an inside scratch (Hanover Sal N was sick), the 8-year-old JK's Outlaw lass looped Express Ball N (Ron Cushing) and put forth fractions of :27.2, :56.4, 1:25 and 1:54.2.

Stonebridge Kisses (Bochard) and Sentbytheangels (Eric Goodell) chased to no avail, with :"Jen" winning by a length-and-a-quarter. She returned $6.50 as the slight fave, leading a $16 exacta and $198.50 triple.

The winner, now three-for-eight in '07, was trained by Kevin McDermott for lessee Karen Sawyer.

Tetrick, another Illini expatriate, won the $25,000 Petticoat consolation with Sister Kae (life-best 1:55.2, $7.40). (Yonkers)

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