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It’s not every day the phone rings and the person on the other end wants to send a stakes-caliber mare to your stable. But that’s exactly what happened a few weeks before the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series first leg when Todd Buter answered Bill Bercury’s call. Then the trainer of Blue Ivy, who he was pointing to the Matchmaker Series at Yonkers Raceway, the western Pennsylvania-based Bercury asked New York-based Buter to take the mare on the recommendation of Todd’s son, Tyler. “Mr. Bercury contacted Tyler and said he wanted him to drive Blue Ivy in the Matchmaker. He asked if Tyler had any suggestions of who he should send her to. Tyler said, ‘well, I’m sure my dad would take her,’ so he gave me a call and that’s how it ended up. He brought her out about a week before her first start.” ....
Tim Bojarski has participated in just about every aspect of the Standardbred racing business throughout his life: as a groom, a trainer, a driver, a writer, handicapper, and as the National President of the U.S. Harness Writers Association and the President of USHWA’s Upstate New York Chapter. He’s also owned horses in partnership with Tony Gruppo since the early 1980s. While the pair has achieved success at the open level, competing on the Grand Circuit has remained a dream. Friday night at Yonkers, Dbldelitebrigade will change that as she makes her stakes debut in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series first leg Friday night (March 12). ....
Alexa Skye came to Yonkers Raceway with four straight victories and left having made it five in-a-row, taking Thursday night s featured $30,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace in impressive fashion. The 4-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere stopped the teletimer in 1:52 flat. Driven by Todd McCarthy, Alexa Skye left quickly from post three and cleared Feelin Red Hot (George Brennan) for the lead prior to the :27.4 opening quarter. Alexa Skye, who was the 8-5 second choice, was well-rated to the half, posting that fraction in :56.3, and then picked up the tempo to 1:24.2 at three-quarters as New Zealand imports Seaswift Joy (Andrew McCarthy) and Bettors Heart (Jason Bartlett) began to advance first-up and second-over, respectively. ....