from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Yonkers, NY — Holiday Credit, who earlier this year won the Dexter Cup but is coming off a seventh-place finish in last weekend’s Yonkers Trot elimination race, drew post four for Saturday night’s $605,854 Yonkers Trot final and was made the 3-1 favorite in the morning line.

USTA/Ellen Harvey photo

Presiding judge Robert Haughton (left), Horsemen’s Representative and USTA Director John Brennan (center) and Yonkers Publicity Director Frank Drucker (right) draw post positions for the 2008 Yonkers Trot.

Elimination winner Ace High Hall drew the unfavorable outside eight post on Yonkers’ half-mile track, while elim runner-up Big Apple Deli will start from post seven.

The Yonkers Trot, for 3-year-olds, is the first leg in this year’s Trotting Triple Crown. The other jewels in the Crown are the Hambletonian (August 2 at the Meadowlands) and the Kentucky Futurity (October 4 at the Red Mile).

Holiday Credit, trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by Ron Pierce, is at home on a small track. Prior to the Yonkers Trot elim, the colt won six of his previous seven starts around half-mile ovals. Lifetime, he has won eight of 18 races and earned $294,040 for owners Christina Takter, John Fielding, Falkbolagen AB, and Order By Stable.

Ace High Hall, trained by Mark Ford and driven by David Miller, won the Yonkers Trot elimination race by a half length over Big Apple Deli in 1:57.2. Three of Ace High Hall’s five career victories have come on half-mile tracks and last year he set the track record at Yonkers for 2-year-olds, with a time of 1:59. Ace High Hall, owned by Martin Scharf, is 8-1 in the morning line. He has won five of 11 career starts and earned $159,923.

“He’s done everything asked of him,” Ford said. “I think maybe he’s a little bit better big-track horse, but he got around here fine. He’s at the mercy of what the other horses do. Knock on wood, he seems fine, but he’s behind the 8-ball.

“It’s a very interesting draw. I thought the horse to beat was (Ray) Schnittker’s horse (Make It Happen) and he drew outside, too. We’ll just have to wait and see what the inside horses do. We’ll just be a passenger and see what happens.”

Napoleon, who equaled the Yonkers record for 2-year-olds last season, will start from post two in the Yonkers Trot and is the 7-2 second choice in the morning line. Napoleon will be driven by Stephane Bouchard for trainer Noel Daley and owners Ken Tucci, Sid Korn, Lawrence Thomases and John Guarniere. He has won seven of 12 career races and earned $230,768.

Make It Happen, who won the Empire Breeders Classic earlier this season and was second to undefeated stablemate Deweycheatumnhowe in last year’s Valley Victory, will start from post six and is 4-1 in the morning line. He is trained and driven by Ray Schnittker, who owns the colt with the Eat My Dust Stable, Daisy Acres, Howard Taylor, and Jack Adkins. Make It Happen has five wins in 19 career races and $402,895 in earnings.

“He gets no respect,” said Frank Baldassare, from the Eat My Dust Stable. “Nobody knows about him and that’s fine by me. He was pretty good last week. I thought he had a lot of trot at the end.”

First race post time is 6:50 p.m. Saturday. The Hudson Filly Trot, race eight on the card, is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. while the Yonkers Trot, race 10, is slated for 10:00 p.m.

Here are the post positions for the Yonkers Trot and the Hudson Filly Trot, slated for Saturday night, June 28, at Yonkers Raceway.

$605,854 Yonkers Trot
Race 10 — Post time 10:00 p.m
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Velocity Hall – J. Bartlett – J. Czernyson – 6-1
2. Napoleon – S. Bouchard – N. Daley – 7-2
3. Di Manggio – J. Gregory – L. Rathbone – 10-1
4. Holiday Credit – R. Pierce – J. Takter – 3-1
5. Over Ruled – M. Lachance – R. Gurfein – 10-1
6. Make It Happen – R. Schnittker – R. Schnittker – 4-1
7. Big Apple Deli – J. Campbell – J. Simpson Jr. – 6-1
8. Ace High Hall – D. Miller – M. Ford – 8-1

$324,694 Hudson Filly Trot
Race 8 — Post time 9:15 p.m.
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1. Creamy Mimi – T. Smedshammer – T. Smedshammer – 5-2
2. Epangeline – R. Schnittker – R. Schnittker – 3-1
3. Smart Dream – S. Smith – T. Fanning – 10-1
4. Flower Lane – J. Campbell – R. Schnittker – 6-1
5. Muscle Shirt – J. Stratton – C. Sylvester – 5-1
6. Lindy’s Heiress – J. Gregory – F. Antonacci – 6-1
7. Morguns Sweetheart – J. Marohn – G. Sholty – 10-1
8. There’s A Way – S. Bouchard – A. Lorentzon – 10-1