Yonkers, NY – Fragment, who was last year’s New York Sire Stakes, Big Apple and Matron winner, rebounded off a third-place finish in the sire stakes most recently at Buffalo to capture the Grade 2 $200,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final for 3-year-old male pacers on Friday night (June 26) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. The Messenger, which was conducted at the distance of a mile and a quarter this year, is the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown.
Driven by Jason Bartlett, Fragment showed speed from post two but allowed a two-wide Al Papi (Yannick Gingras) to clear him going to the :28.1 opening quarter. Al Papi would be unchallenged to the half in :57.1, but an outer tier that included Frantic Hanover (Tim Tetrick), Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and Hunt Off The Press (Scott Zeron) formed up as Al Papi raced toward three-quarters in 1:26.2.
Al Papi staved off fellow Ron Burke trainee Frantic Hanover to the mile marker in 1:54.1, but Frantic Hanover began to tire on the last turn, and that gave Bartlett and Fragment a path to the outside they needed. Al Papi was game to the wire, but he couldn’t withstand the charge of Fragment, who got up to tally by half a length in 2:21.4. Mighty Matt (Braxten Boyd) held off Melillo for third and Apocalypsebluechip (Todd McCarthy) got up for fifth.
“It’s good for the horse. He’s been very special to us the last two years,” Bartlett remarked. “For him to bounce back like that and to beat those type of horses, we’re not surprised. I’m happy that he’s back on track. For him to race like that in Buffalo was really not like him.
“This race went kind of went the way we wanted it to. I was going to re-move him, but the pace was enough, so I just kind of sat there. I know he’s a little horse, but for me, on the front, he can get away from me a little bit because he floats over the ground. I was better off in the two-hole, to be honest.”
Per Engblom trains Fragment, a Huntsville colt bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm, Michael Robinson, and South Mountain Stables, for the ownership group of Engblom Farm LLC., Douglas Sipple and Peaceful Acre Farm. He has 11 wins and three seconds from 19 lifetime starts, has earned $758,057 and paid $4.40 to win as the favorite. He keyed a $7.24 exacta and a $35.90 trifecta.
“He bled a little bit at Buffalo, so we had to skip the next leg of the sire stakes to get him right. I think we did right by him,” Engblom said. “I didn’t stake him to any of the races this summer on the bigger tracks. I tried to stick on the smaller tracks and hope to have a good fall with him.
“He’s got the New York Sire Stakes and the Empire Breeders, and then we’ll aim for the Little Brown Jug and the Breeders Crown.”
The companion Grade 3 Park MGM Pace for 3-year-old fillies was split into a pair of $50,000 divisions.
In the first flight, Two Twenty Swift (Bartlett), the 4-5 favorite, led through fractions of :27.2, :55 and 1:23.2 while she parked out Existential (Matt Kakaley). The swift tempo and battle made Two Twenty Swift vulnerable in the lane, and pocket-sitter Ideal Beauty Queen (Scott Zeron) took advantage, rallying past Two Twenty Swift to prevail half a length in 1:53.2 at odds of 22-1. Two Twenty Swift held on for the runner-up spot and Bettor Be A Star (Dexter Dunn) had pace in the stretch from second-over to get up for third.
A daughter of American Ideal bred by co-owner Rosalia Huff with Jean Durnye, Ideal Beauty Queen is trained by Jake Huff. Ideal Beauty Queen, who is co-owned by Beauty Bridle Rac Stb Inc., won for the fourth time from 16 starts, has now earned $103,566 and paid $47.70 to win. She led a $133.88 exacta and a $231.98 trifecta.
The second Park MGM Pace split saw 2-5 choice I’m A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick) leave from post four and clear Tall Dark Tequila (Tyler Buter) for command before the :27.3 quarter. From there, I’m A Lou Lou kept the top spot to the half in :57 seconds and the three-quarters in 1:25.1 before she closed in :27.3 to prevail by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4. Napalm (Dunn) was second from first-over and Tall Dark Tequila wound up third.
By Sweet Lou and bred by Add Inc., I’m A Lou Lou is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC. Knox Services Inc., Larry Karr and Phil Collura. She has a summary of 5-5-2 from 17 tries, has pocketed $328,860 and returned $2.84 to win. She was atop a $6.28 exacta and a $9.76 trifecta.