Yonkers, NY – It pays to have power, and that’s exactly what Louies Girl N had in her arsenal in the first leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (March 27).
With leading trainer Per Engblom handling her conditioning and leading driver Jason Bartlett at the controls, Louies Girl N made a huge move on the backstretch and rolled off to a brilliant 1:52.4 victory in the first $50,000 division. The 6-year-old import is undefeated since arriving in North America last year.
Louies Girl N left from post two, but Bartlett allowed Square Deal (Scott Zeron) to pass off the opening bend. Rocket Deo, the second choice in the field, needed the full first quarter to clear the front for Dexter Dunn and paced there in :27.1. There wasn’t any movement in the second quarter and so Dunn slowed the half to :56.3.
The pace picked up with Coachellabound N moving to the outside on turn three, and that flushed Bartlett from the three-hole with Louies Girl once on the backstretch the final time. Within the blink of an eye, Louies Girl N sailed past Rocket Deo and opened ground on the field, hitting three-quarters first in 1:24.4 and adding a 28 second final quarter by herself to the wire. Rocket Deo held second with Coachellabound N and Square Deal rounding out the top four.
Owned by Peaceful Acre Farm, Louies Girl N returned $2.22 to win and keyed a $3.74 exacta and $16.80 trifecta.
Tick A Loch A and driver Matt Kakaley pulled an upset in the second $50,000 McIntyre division, coming first-over and wearing down 1-5 favorite Bath Bomb in the homestretch for a 1:54.2 score. Sent off as an 11-1 proposition, the 6-year-old daughter of Always B Miki won for the third time in 2026 for trainer Chris Height.
Cheryls Shadow (Bartlett) took control of the action quickly, with favored Bath Bomb and Andrew McCarthy taking over shortly before the 28 second opening fraction. Bath Bomb set a reasonable half in :57.3 but was put under pressure through the third quarter. Matt Kakaley had Tick A Loch A on the flank of the pacemaker at three-quarters in 1:26.1, and the two raced around the final quarter in tandem. Fearless Ginger was on the winner’s cover second-over with Always Bstunning N and Tim Tetrick moving into third-over position before the final turn.
Tick A Loch A took over in early stretch and was an easy winner, posting a :28.1 final quarter. Bath Bomb held second with Always Bstunning N finishing fastest of all for third. Early leader Cheryls Shadow finished fourth.
Tick A Loch A is owned by Michael Casalino Jr. and had been a bridesmaid in three of her last four races before Friday’s victory. Tick A Loch A returned $25.50 to win and keyed a $40.64 exacta with the favorite, as well as a $292.16 trifecta.
In the third $50,000 McIntyre division, driver Yannick Gingras put second choice Seaside Diva on the front-end midway through the first turn and never looked back, waltzing to a 1:53.3 victory at the expense of favored Tarapasta.
Seaside Diva, trained by Ron Burke, set sensible early fractions of 29 seconds and :58.1 for the first half-mile. Tarapasta and Matt Kakaley got away third but lost footing going to the quarter and needed to be settled, losing one spot before the second turn. Kakaley put the favorite on the move on the third turn, and the pair challenged the winner through the accelerated three-quarters timed in 1:25.4. Seaside Diva accelerated through the final turn and paced home in :27.4 to win decisively. Tarapsta was second, well in front of Turn The Page N, with Lydeo closing for fourth.
Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Knox Services and Let it Ride Stables, Seaside Diva is a 5-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside that won for the 25th time in her racing career. Seaside Diva returned $5.80 to win and keyed a $13.44 exacta and a $30.74 trifecta.
Gingras and sire Downbytheseaside picked up a double in the McIntyre Series opener when Coastal Babe N captured the final $50,000 division, going wire-to-wire from the pole position in the fastest mile of the quartet – a 1:52.1 effort. It was the third win in four North American starts for trainer Jared Bako’s recent import.
Coastal Babe N discouraged leavers Aardie B Miki N and Walkin On Sunshine, the 3-5 favorite, with an explosive start for Gingras, with last year’s series champion Aardie B Miki N and Jason Bartlett finding a tuck in the pocket and Scott Zeron navigating a four-hole for Walkin On Sunshine. Coastal Babe N set fractions of 28 seconds and :56.3 for the first-half and kicked into gear off the third turn, sprinting a :27.3 panel with Bartlett asking Aardie B Miki N to stay in close proximity, while Walkin On Sunshine and Zeron struggled to make up ground on the outside.
A final panel of 28 seconds was plenty to see Coastal Babe N cross the wire in front, with Aardie B Miki N second and Walkin On Sunshine further back in third ahead of Elusive A.
Owned by Kap Singh Racing, Stanley Klunoski, Earl Hill Jr. and Donald MacRae, Coastal Babe N returned $8.46 to win as the third choice. The exacta with Aardie B Miki N returned $16.64 and the trifecta adding the favorite returned $22.70.
The prelims of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Series continue through Friday, April 24 before a $200,000 (added) final and a $100,000 (guaranteed) consolation on Friday, May 8.
Stakes action resumes on Monday (March 30) at Yonkers with five $50,000 groupings of the opening leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, and then the John Brennan Trotting Series commences with a pair of $30,000 flights on Wednesday (April 1).
MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).