by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — A year ago, Yes Mickey might have caused his connections to cry out “Oh no Mickey” more often than his actual name. The trotter was an immature 2-year-old who started only once — and went off stride in the stretch. The outcome was not completely unexpected. He frequently made breaks when training and in two of his three qualifiers.

Yes Mickey was gelded during the winter and, together with time to mature, came back to work this year a different horse. He has finished first or second in eight of nine races and earned $222,487 for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt and owner Mellby Gard Inc.

On Saturday, Yes Mickey will compete in the first of two six-horse eliminations of the Yonkers Trot at Yonkers Raceway. He was supplemented to the event for $30,000 following his upset victory in last week’s Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs.

Yes Mickey was purchased for $65,000 at the 2015 Lexington Selected Sale and is a half-brother to millionaire Adrian Chip.

Yes Mickey is 2-1 on the morning line, the second choice behind 9-5 favorite Devious Man from the stable of trainer Julie Miller. Guardian Angel As, trained by Anette Lorentzon, is the 8-5 choice in the second elimination. The top four finishers from each elimination return Sept. 2 for the $500,000 Yonkers Trot final.

“He just needed time to grow up a little bit,” Svanstedt said about Yes Mickey, who was lightly staked this year because of his previous issues. “He has raced good every time (this year). I like everything about him. He has a nice gait, long step. He is nice to drive.”

Yes Mickey is a son of stallion Muscle Hill out of the mare My Favorite Chip. He was purchased for $65,000 at the 2015 Lexington Selected Sale and is a half-brother to millionaire Adrian Chip, who finished second to Donato Hanover in the 2007 Hambletonian and finished third in the 2007 Yonkers Trot.

Last week, Yes Mickey won the Zweig by a quarter-length over filly Ariana G in a career-best 1:51.2. It was the gelding’s second victory of the season and the winning time tied for the third fastest of the season by a 3-year-old trotter.

Yes Mickey’s trip to Yonkers’ half-mile oval will be his first start of the year on a small track.

“This is a hard track, but I hope he can race good,” Svanstedt said. “I think he can handle the turns good. I don’t think it is going to be a problem.”

USTA/Ken Weingartner photos

Yes Mickey has finished first or second in eight of nine races in 2017 and earned $222,487.

Svanstedt also will send out New Jersey Viking in the second Yonkers Trot elimination. New Jersey Viking won five of 11 races last year and earned $146,138 for owners Knutsson Trotting Inc. and Little E LLC, but is winless in four starts this season.

The colt, a son of Muscle Hill out of Hall Of Wishes, was slowed by a lung infection and missed more than two months of action.

“I think he is on the way up,” Svanstedt said.

The Yonkers Trot is the second jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown. The first jewel, the Hambletonian, went to Svanstedt-trained Perfect Spirit when What The Hill was disqualified for causing interference in the stretch. Neither Perfect Spirit nor What The Hill was eligible to the Yonkers Trot.

Saturday’s card at Yonkers also includes one nine-horse elimination of the Messenger Stakes for 3-year-old pacers. The top eight finishers return Sept. 2 for the $500,000 final. The entry of Downbytheseaside and Blood Line is the 4-5 morning line favorite.

Following are the complete fields in post order for the Yonkers Trot eliminations (with driver/trainer/morning line).

Elimination One: 1. Enterprise (Tim Tetrick/Marcus Melander/3-1); 2. Another Chapter (Dan Dube/Per Henriksen/6-1); 3. Southwind Cobra (Matt Kakaley/Ron Burke/10-1); 4. Yes Mickey (Ake Svanstedt/Ake Svanstedt/2-1); 5. Devious Man (Andy Miller/Julie Miller/9-5); 6. Andy M (Jason Bartlett/Chris Beaver/12-1).

Elimination Two: 1. Money Macintosh* (Andy Miller/Julie Miller/9-5); 2. DiOggi (Montrell Teague/Archie Kohr/9-2); 3. New Jersey Viking (Ake Svanstedt/Ake Svanstedt/6-1); 4. Guardian Angel As (Jason Bartlett/Anette Lorentzon/8-5); 5. Southwind Hydro (Marcus Johansson/Nancy Johansson/6-1); 6. Top Flight Angel* (Brian Sears/Julie Miller/9-5).

* Money Macintosh and Top Flight Angel racing as coupled entry.

Following is the complete field in post order for the Messenger elimination (with driver/trainer/morning line).

1. Art Scene (Jordan Stratton/Tony Alagna/7-1); 2. Mac’s Jackpot* (Jason Bartlett/Jim Campbell/9-1); 3. Downbytheseaside# (Brian Sears/Brian Brown/4-5); 4. Summer Side (Ray Schnittker/Ray Schnittker/7-1); 5. Blood Line# (Mark MacDonald/Jimmy Takter/4-5); 6. Henry The Dragon (Montrell Teague/Clyde Francis/20-1); 7. Miso Fast (Matt Kakaley/Ron Burke/6-1); 8. Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan/John Butenschoen/7-1); 9. Beyond Delight* (Dan Dube/Mark Silva/9-1).

* Mac’s Jackpot and Beyond Delight racing as coupled entry; Beyond Delight starts from the second tier.
# Downbytheseaside and Blood Line racing as coupled entry.