A drizzling, foggy Friday night found Yonkers Raceway hosting the ladies in the second preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker, and Elusive Prey put Stephane Bouchard back in the winner's circle, while the other splits were won by Nip N Attack and Sportsfancy, who battled past Chancey Lady.
As for Bouchard, he had been sidelined much of the season with a pinched nerve, was reunited with the winner's circle for the first time since Feb. 17.
Elusive Prey lived up to her name in the first of three, $40,000 Open Mare divisions. Leaving inside her six rivals, she rolled through fractions of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:25, en route to a season's-best 1:54 effort.
She defeated Double Dream N (Brent Holland) by a measured length, with Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance) a pocket third. Still Electric (Greg Grismore), the tepid 2-1 choice, was caught wide leaving, offered minimal first-over and wound up a well-beaten last.
For Elusive Prey, a 5-year-old daughter of Western Hanover trained by Kevin Johnson for co-owners Rebecca Williams and Joe & Joann Thomson, she paid $7.10 (third choice) for her third win in 10 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $70.50, with the triple returning $150.50.
Nip N Attack (Jordan Stratton), the 13-10 favorite, had no problems repeating her opening-leg Matchmaker rout. Leaving from post position No. 3, she wired her half-dozen foes through divisions of :28, 57.2, 1:25.3 and 1:54.4. Up Front Bethann (Ryan Anderson) chased from second, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, with Western Graduate (Jim Pantaleano) closing from last to grab the bottom of the ticket.
For Nip N Attack, a 5-year-old daughter of On the Attack co-owned by Susan Oakes & Chuck Pompey and trained by Chris Oakes, she paid $4.70 for her fifth win in 11 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $24.60, with the triple returning $209.
Events couldn't have played out any better for Sportsfancy (Jason Bartlett) in the final Matchmaker grouping. Leaving from post No. 5 in her series debut, the now-$700,000 career earner took in an early floor show with a lot of leavers. Pancleefandarpels (Stratton), a Round 1 winner, quarter-moved around Goon BB (Grismore) after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile. Chancey Lady (Cat Manzi), the 3-5 choice after last week's blowout win of her own, was four-wide leaving before settling fifth.
"Pancleef" found a zippy :55.3 intermission, with Chancey Lady moving to engage. Sportsfancy was more than happy to tag along going down the backside and toward the 1:24.2 three-quarters. Pancleefandarpels held a tenuous lead turning for home, with Chancey Lady to her outside and Sportsfancy ducking into the passing lane. Sportsfancy outgamed Chancey Lady by three-parts of a length in 1:53.3, with Pancleefandarpels a tiring third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths.
For Sportsfancy, a 5-year-old daughter of Sportsmaster trained by Josh Green for owner Larry Baron, she paid $12.80 (third choice) for her fourth win in nine '09 tries. The exacta paid $29.20, with the triple worth $74.50.