Resolve is favored in $1 million Yonkers International Trot
October 11, 2016,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
New York, NY — Resolve on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 11) drew post No. 2 in a field of 10 for Saturday’s (Oct. 15) $1 million Yonkers International Trot and was made the 3-1 morning line favorite in the 1-1/4 mile invitational event at Yonkers Raceway.
Hannelore Hanover, the lone mare in the race, drew post one and was made the 4-1 second choice.
The International Trot was first contested in 1959 and held through 1995. The event was resurrected last year by Yonkers Raceway President and CEO Tim Rooney. It will be race six on a 13-race card Saturday at Yonkers. First race post time is 1:10 p.m. (EDT), with the International Trot expected to go at 3:20 p.m.
Resolve and Hannelore Hanover are among three U.S. representatives in the International Trot, along with Obrigado, who drew post six and was made 6-1 on the morning line.
USTA/Ken Weingartner photo
Resolve has won 14 times in his career and has $1.61 million in career earnings.
“I’m satisfied with the draw,” said Swedish-born Ake Svanstedt, who is now based in the U.S. and trains and drives Resolve for owner Hans Enggren of Pennsylvania. “I know a lot of the horses and have seen them race. I’ve raced against a couple of them too. The drivers are good drivers. They drive differently. It’s going to be a European (style) race, not American.”
Resolve, a 5-year-old stallion, has won four of 10 races this year and earned $695,513. He heads to the International Trot off a win in the Maple Leaf Trot on Sept. 17 at Mohawk Racetrack. Earlier this season, he finished second to Nuncio in the Elitlopp at Sweden’s Solvalla Raceway.
“He is doing good,” Svanstedt said. “He is doing good the whole year. It’s been almost four weeks since he raced the last time, but he trained good. He looks good. He’s excited to race when he has a long time between the races. He wants to race. He’s sharp.”
Returning from last year’s International Trot are Norway’s BBS Sugarlight, Italy’s Oasis Bi, and Sweden’s On Track Piraten. Oasis Bi, who finished fourth in last year’s edition of the race, drew post No. 5 and was established at 5-1. BBS Sugarlight was fifth and On Track Piraten finished seventh.
Completing the field are Sweden’s Explosive De Vie, Canada’s Flanagan Memory, Finland’s Jonesy, and Denmark’s Tano Bork.
Norway’s Papagayo E won the 2015 race, but is unable to return this year because of injury.
Linscott Photography
Hannelore Hanover has won 24 times in her career, with $1.2 million in earnings.
Hannelore Hanover will try to join a list of eight mares to win the International Trot. She has 15 wins and two seconds in 17 starts this season, and has won 24 of her 38 career starts for trainer Ron Burke, who co-owns the 4-year-old with the partnership of Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino and J&T Silva Stables.
The mare heads to the International Trot off a win over the boys in the Centaur Trotting Classic on Sept. 24 at Hoosier Park. She finished second to Resolve in the Maple Leaf Trot.
“I was open-minded about (posts) one through five, and maybe nine or 10, but drawing the rail in this race is definitely a big edge for her,” Hannelore Hanover’s driver Yannick Gingras said, adding with a laugh, “I told Ake that he better buckle up his chinstrap.
“She’s really sharp. She’s been racing really good. She’s had a three-week break now, which I think is a great thing for her. She’d been racing really hard, shipping all over North America. I think the three weeks will help her and I’m sure Ronnie will have her trained up. I know she’s ready to rock.”
This will be Hannelore Hanover’s first race on a half-mile track.
“I don’t think it’s an issue,” Gingras said. “She’s a really square-gaited mare. I don’t think it’s any problem at all in my mind.”
Following is the Yonkers International Trot field in post order.
PP–Horse–Driver–Trainer–Line
1–Hannelore Hanover–Yannick Gingras–Ron Burke–4/1
2–Resolve–Ake Svanstedt–Ake Svanstedt–3/1
3–Jonesy–Tuomas Korvenoja–Tuomas Korvenoja–15/1
4–Flanagan Memory–Brian Sears–Rene Dion–6/1
5–Oasis Bi– Erik Adielsson–Stefan Pettersson–5/1
6–Obrigado–Mark MacDonald–Paul Kelley–6/1
7–BBS Sugarlight–Vidar Hop–Fredrik Solberg–6/1
8–On Track Piraten–Orjan Kihlstrom–Hans Stromberg–10/1
9–Tano Bork–John Campbell–Christian Lindhardt–20/1
10–Explosive De Vie–Kevin Oscarsson–Jim Oscarsson–12/1
Tano Bork and Explosive De Vie start in the second tier.
For more about this year’s competitors, visit the Yonkers International Trot website by clicking here.
- Obrigado ‘scratches in’ to Yonkers International Trot (Wednesday, October 05, 2016)
Millionaire Obrigado has accepted an invitation to compete in Yonkers Raceway’s $1 million Yonkers International Trot, scheduled for Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15).
- Europeans arrive for Yonkers International Trot (Wednesday, October 05, 2016)
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- European contingent invades Yonkers for International Trot (Friday, October 07, 2016)
They’re here. After soaking up the fun and sun of Newburgh, N.Y., for a couple of days, the half-dozen Europeans chosen to compete in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot found their way ‘home’ Friday afternoon (Oct. 7).
- On Track Piraten seeks better result in 2016 Yonkers International Trot (Monday, October 10, 2016)
Whether racing, training, or being an ambassador for harness racing, Sweden’s On Track Piraten puts his best foot forward. The popular 8-year-old gelding hopes to win over more fans in the U.S. this weekend when he competes for the second time in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot at Yonkers Raceway.
- Yonkers International Trot: History says beware of the mares (Monday, October 10, 2016)
The ladies have been champions of women’s rights to win in the famed International Trot, indelibly etching their names among the greatest performers in the history of the global classic. So, the stage is certainly set for another trotting tigress, Hannelore Hanover, the millionaire American mare sure to make her presence felt in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15), to be contested over the historic Yonkers Raceway half-mile oval.
- International Trot fearsome fivesome take Manhattan (Tuesday, October 11, 2016)
Half of the 10 drivers scheduled to compete in Saturday afternoon’s (Oct. 15) $1 million Yonkers International Trot were part of a well-attended Tuesday afternoon draw luncheon in midtown Manhattan.
- Oasis Bi looks for second chance victory in Yonkers International (Wednesday, October 12, 2016)
Oasis Bi came home in strong fashion in last year’s Yonkers International Trot, overcoming a back-of-the-pack trip to finish fourth. Trainer Stefan Pettersson hopes the 8-year-old stallion can put forth a similar effort in this year’s $1 million event on Saturday, but this time resulting in a win.
- New York Double features International Trot, Belmont’s Futurity (Wednesday, October 12, 2016)
Two breeds, two races, two tracks, two dollars, one bet. Saturday (Oct. 15) afternoon’s ‘New York Double’ is a cooperative effort between the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and Yonkers Raceway.
- Campbell gets another shot at Yonkers International Trot (Thursday, October 13, 2016)
One driver heads to Saturday’s $1 million Yonkers International Trot with his name already etched among previous winners of the race. The driver, of course, is John Campbell. He won the 1988 International Trot as part of a magical campaign with Mack Lobell. The legendary trotter won 17 of 19 races that season and also counted the prestigious Elitlopp among his victories on his way to a second consecutive Horse of the Year honor.
- Gingras hopes to add Yonkers International Trot to his career resume (Friday, October 14, 2016)
Yannick Gingras has driven in some of the world’s most prestigious trotting races — the Prix d’Amerique, the Elitlopp, the Hambletonian — and, as he says with a chuckle, “I’m yet to win any of them.” He hopes to change his luck Saturday when he returns to the track that launched his career in the U.S., Yonkers Raceway, for the $1 million Yonkers International Trot.