Ford sweeps first leg of Matchmaker

The opening round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series attracted 21 of the finest pacing mares in training, perfectly proportioned in three, $40,000 events.  A full third of the starters came from the Mark Ford Stable and his harem won them all.

 

Ubetterthink Think (Brandon Simpson) beat the gate and her six rivals, easily going the distance in 1:54.2. Leaving from post position five, "Ubetter"  rolled through fractions of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:26. She put away a first-up Red High Heels (Cat Manzi), then widened to 3 3/4 lengths at the wire. Go on BB (Jason  Bartlett) was a pocket second as the 13-10 choice, with Red High Heels third. Eagle Way (Greg Grismore) and a season-debuting Shanghai Lil (Stephane  Bouchard)--the '09 Lady Maud winner--completed the cashers.

 

"(Mark) just told me to give her a chance," Simpson said. "She felt really good the whole way."

 

For Ubetterthink Think, a 6-year-old Bettor's Delight miss owned by Bob DiNozzi, she retutrned $17.20 (fifth choice) for her second win in a dozen  seasonal starts. The exacta paid $52.50, with the triple returning $245.

 

Call Me Yours (Bouchard, four winners on the 12-race card), fresh from a solid win in last week's local femme feature, once again did her damage from off the pace. The 15-1 proposition went up and over 3-10 favorite On the Glass (Bartlett) at the 1:26.3 three-quarter pole. That was after the people's preference seemingly had things her own way :(:28.2, :58) early. No matter, as Call Me Yours opened to a length turning for  home and 2 1/4 lengths at the wire in 1:55.2. 

 

Lightning Treasure (Manzi) and a returning McGibson (Jordan Stratton) chased home the winner, with On the Glass and Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance)  settling for the small change.

 

"She was so good last week that I had to take my shot," Bouchard said. "They weren't going very fast, but my mare was very sharp."

 

For Call Me Yours, a 5-year-old daughter of Your Nemesis owned by Stephen Gillard, she returned $33.40 (fourth choice) for her fourth victory in 10  seasonal sojourns. The exacta paid $176, with the triple returning $1,533. It was a bit cool for bridge-jumping, but someone plunged anyway, resulted in show prices of $52.50,$19.20 and $34, respectively.

 

Ford and Bouchard teamed in the final Matchmaker mélange, as 16-1 Makerbark made her local debut a winning one. 

 

Afer pole-sitting Ginger And Fred (Bartlett)--as the 2-5 choice-led through intervals of :28.2, :57 and 1:25, Makerbnark uncorked a wide bid in and out of  the final turn. Neither "Ginger" nor "Fred" offered much resistance, as Makerbark drew away late. She won by 2 1/4 lengths in a season's-best 1:54.1.

 

"I learned that she's a pretty handy horse, and I learned to do whatever her trainer says," Bouchard said.

 

Ginger And Fred saved second, with Ramona Disomma (Grismore), Little Mermaid N (Jim Pantaleano) and Perfectionist (Stratton) completing the cashers.

 

For Makerbark, a 5-year-old Dragon Again ma'am co-owned by Roger Hammer and Vicki Lynn Fair, she paid $35.20 (fifth choice) for her second win in nine '10 tries. The exacta paid $136, with the triple returning $324.50. (Yonkers)