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Fortunada kicked off the Tuesday, April 21 program at Yonkers with a win in the evening’s opener. The Indiana sired pacer crushed her opponents as she rallied home a winner by open lengths in 1:55.2.

 

Fortunada and Joe Bongiorno began from post one and tried to use early speed, but had big challenges from the outside from Disaronno Hill and Jason Bartlett and Ideal Skies and Jim Marohn Jr. Horses were three-wide in the first turn as Fortunada was doing everything she could to maintain the top spot. There was contact between Ideal Skies and Disaronno Hill for a few strides before Ideal Skies dropped in behind Fortunada and Disaronno Hill went onto the lead at the quarter in :28.1. From there, the field stayed in single file through the half in :57.3. Horses from the back of the pack began to inch out which prompted Beantown Babe and Jordan Stratton to the outside in first over fashion.

 

Bartlett popped the earplugs on Disaronno Hill at the three-quarters in 1:26.1. Beantown Babe could not close the gap on the leader, allowing Fortunada to move to the outside in the final turn.

 

Once the field straightened out in the stretch, Fortunada found another gear. The Indiana mare cruised home for the win by two and three-quarter lengths over Disaronno Hill. Beantown Babe finished third.

 

Fortunada was a mild upset winner, paying $15.14 for the win. The six-year-old daughter of Luck Be Withyou is owned by Flatland Racing and trained by Ricky Bucci. She was bred and raised by William DeLong, Gordon Wright, and William Patrick DeLong. It was her first win of 2026 and her 20th overall. She now has more than $400,000 in earnings with her career best time of 1:51.1 taken as a three-year-old at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. The former Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final winner as a two-year-old was campaigned for the DeLong family by Trainer Roger Welch. Following her three-year-old season, she shipped East and has raced mainly in the New York area since.

 

Fortunada is the final foal from the Modern Art mare Lauren, who earned more than $370,000 in her career. She began in Canada under Bob McIntosh and was a strong Ontario Sires Stakes contender before eventually coming back to Illinois to race. She was also trained by Roger Welch. 


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