by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Hambletonian winner Pinkman and New York Sire Stakes freshman champion Crazy Wow lead a list of 11 3-year-olds entered for the $580,000 Yonkers Trot.

The 61st edition of Yonkers Raceway’s premier trotting event offers a pair of $40,000 elimination races this Saturday night (Aug. 29), with the first four finishers in each returning for the $500,000 final on Sept. 5.

Below are the fields for the two eliminations, in post position order with listed drivers.

First elimination (fourth race): 1-Buen Camino (Trond Smedshammer), 2-Crazy Wow (Tim Tetrick), 3-Pinkman (Yannick Gingras), 4-Workout Wonder (Daniel Dube), 5-Wings Of Royalty (Brian Sears).

Second elimination (fifth race): 1-Southwind Mozart (Ake Svandstedt), 2-Centurion ATM (Svanstedt also listed), 3-Billy Flynn (Jason Bartlett), 4-Massive Lightning (Tyler Buter), 5-Habitat (Gingras), 6-French Laundry (Jimmy Takter). Note the two Svanstedt horses in this elimination are uncoupled due to bona fide separate ownership.

Pinkman, Buen Camino and Massive Lightning are the geldings in the group.

The 60th Messenger Stakes, with eight declarations, becomes a one-dash-for-the-cash event (purse $500,000), also set for Saturday night (Sept. 5).

The entrants, alphabetically, are Dealt A Winner, Dude’s The Man, In The Arsenal, National Seelster, Revenge Shark, Rock N’ Roll World, Roland N Rock and Rollin Ring Afire.

Both stakes serve as the second jewels in their respective gaits’ Triple Crown.

This Saturday night also includes two stakes finals for the 3-year-old ladies, the $149,240 Hudson Filly Trot (sixth race) and $116,430 Lady Maud (seventh race) for trotters and pacers, respectively.

Post time for Saturday’s 13-race card is the usual 7:10 p.m.