Hightstown, NJ – Daniel Wäjersten and Björn Goop are among the Europeans to have participated in the MGM Yonkers International Trot in the past, and they are happy to once again be part of its present.
Wäjersten will send out two horses in Saturday’s $1 million Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot, to be contested at 1-1/4 miles at MGM Yonkers Raceway – Gio Cash (representing Germany) and Mellby Jinx (Sweden). Wäjersten drove Gio Cash in last year’s International Trot, getting a pocket trip behind eventual winner Lexus Kody, but lacked room in the stretch and finished fourth.
This year, the Swedish trainer/driver will hand Gio Cash’s lines to driver Robin Bakker. Wäjersten will be in the sulky behind Mellby Jinx.
“We’re very happy to be a part of the day,” Wäjersten said. “It’s good money, and you represent your country, so it’s very big to get invited and be a part of this race.”
Goop is the trainer/driver of Betting Pacer (Sweden). The Swede drove in three previous editions of the International Trot, finishing second with Timoko in 2015 and third with Ideal San Leandro in 2024 and Powwow in 2025.
“It’s always exciting to be back in the States,” said Goop, whose previous trips to the U.S. also included competing in the 2011 World Driving Championship, where he finished fifth. “It’s always like a dream come true to come over and race. Of course, this time I’m bringing my own trained horse, so it is very special.”
Betting Pacer, who heads to the International Trot off a win in the Grade 1 European Championship for Mares at Solvalla on Aug. 19, will leave from post 10 in Saturday’s 10-horse field and is 10-1 on the morning line. Post 10, as well as 9, are in the second tier.
“She’s doing good,” Goop said. “She’s not used to making such a new trip. She’s used to being out in the paddock and now she’s been stabled all the time, so it’s a big change for her, but she’s been improving all week. We’re happy with her. We’re not happy with the (post) but what can we do. There is nothing we can do. We just have to hope for a little bit of luck and hope that she performs as she has been doing.”
Betting Pacer, a 9-year-old daughter of Maharajah-Peignoir, has won 20 of 88 career races and earned $693,586. Since the beginning of 2024, she has posted 12 victories and banked $503,882. She is owned by MBG I Sydost AB.
“She’s been racing really, really good for over a year,” Goop said. “She’s been against the boys many times. She’s had a little bit of bad luck sometimes with post numbers but has been close to beating them several times. She was really good in the European Championship for Mares. She did an incredibly good race, came three wide, with a strong last quarter. After that, we’ve been trying to get her ready for this event.”
Goop does not expect Betting Pacer to have difficulty negotiating Yonkers’ half-mile oval because the mare set a world record in a long-distance race on a half-mile track a couple years ago.
“I have no concerns at all,” Goop said.
As for Wäjersten’s duo, Gio Cash will leave from post 2 and is 15-1 on the morning line while Mellby Jinx will start from post 6 and is 12-1.
Gio Cash, a 7-year-old son of Victor Gio IT-Give Me Love D E, has a Grade 2 win to his credit this year, in the Arjängs Stora Sprinter in Sweden in July, and four lifetime Grade 1 victories. For his career, he has won 17 of 38 races and earned $799,150. He is owned by Carpe Diem Stables.
“I think he’s in the same shape as last year, so we’re hoping for a good performance,” Wäjersten said. “He’s fast and he’s strong and, in my opinion, he’s one of the best horses at short distance in Europe. He’s got good potential.”
Mellby Jinx, an 8-year-old son of Ready Cash-Heaven’s Door, has won 15 of 67 career races and earned $1.25 million for breeder/owner Mellby Gard Inc. He has four Grade 1 wins lifetime and won an Elitlopp elimination in 2025. In July, he was third behind Allegiant in her track-record 1:49.2 victory in the Grade 1 Hugo Åbergs Memorial at Jägersro, Sweden.
“I think they (Gio Cash and Mellby Jinx) are at the same level,” Wäjersten said. “(Mellby Jinx) is 8 now, but I think he’s as good as he was as a 6- and 7-year-old. He’s earned good money and done some really good races.
“He’s a very calm horse, very professional. He’s been racing at a top level for three years now. We hope that a smaller track will be good for him, but you never know. He’s never been on a half-mile track.”
The 7-5 morning-line favorite in the International Trot is Super Chapter, who will represent the United States. The 4-year-old son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit posted a 1:49.3 win in the Grade 1 Maple Leaf Trot this past Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and he won his elimination the previous week in 1:49.4. He captured the Grade 1 John Cashman Memorial on Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands.
A Dan Patch Award winner last year, Super Chapter has won 19 of 32 career races and earned $2.32 million. He is owned by Jeff Snyder, Arthur Pronti, and Hanover Shoe Farms. Dexter Dunn will handle the driving on Saturday for trainer Marcus Melander, starting from post 5.
“He was fantastic last week, and he came out of the race good,” Melander said. “It’s going to be (racing) three weeks in a row, but he’s so good at taking care of himself – he eats well, drinks good – that he should be fine.
“It’s always hard to compare the European horses, but I’m confident in my horse. Of course, it’s a 10-horse field, it’s a mile and a quarter, and it’s a lot of drivers that have a different style in the way they drive over there. You’re going to need some racing luck, obviously, as well, but in the horse, I’m always confident. He’s going to be racing against some other nice horses, but you never know how they’ll take the trip over here from Europe. It’s going to be an interesting race.”
Melander also will send out the Bourbonista S, a 5-year-old mare who is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line. She became the fastest female trotter in North American history with a 1:48.4 win in the Grade 3 Six Pack on July 4 at the Meadowlands and also won the Grade 2 Armbro Flight, at Mohawk, in June. The Swedish-bred daughter of Face Time Bourbon-Affinity Kronos is owned by Deo Volente Farms and Panamera Racing and will represent Sweden in the International Trot.
Bourbonista S qualified in 1:52.3 this past Friday at the Meadowlands, finishing fourth with Scott Zeron in the sulky. Zeron will be back with her on Saturday, leaving from post 4.
“The qualifier was good, just what she needed, a little tightener for this week,” Melander said. “She qualified with shoes and just her training gear on. She’s a lot better when we pull the shoes and change some equipment.
“She will go barefoot (Saturday). Super Chapter will race with shoes. We’ve pulled them twice and it seems like he’s as good with shoes as he is barefoot.”
Rounding out the International Trot field are defending champ Lexus Kody (Canada), Hooker Berry (France), Powwow (Norway), Diva Ek (Italy), and Antognoni S (Sweden).
Racing begins at 11:50 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday at MGM Yonkers Raceway. The 11-race card also includes the $200,000 Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot, $200,000 Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace, and eight $300,000 New York Sire Stakes championships. The MGM Yonkers International Trot is race 8.
For additional International Trot Day coverage from DRF, including free Harness Eye past performances, free full-card analysis, and video, click here.
$1 million Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot – Race 8
Post-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line
1-Lexus Kody-Jason Bartlett-Ron Burke-10-1
2-Gio Cash DE-Robin Bakker-Daniel Wäjersten-15-1
3-Hooker Berry FR-Antoine Lhéreté-Antoine Lhéreté-20-1
4-Bourbonista S-Scott Zeron-Marcus Melander-2-1
5-Super Chapter-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander-7-5
6-Mellby Jinx S-Daniel Wäjersten-Daniel Wäjersten-12-1
7-Powwow NO-Åke Svanstedt-Jan Waaler-20-1
8-Diva Ek IT-Alessandro Gocciadoro-Alessandro Gocciadoro-8-1
9-Antognoni S-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-6-1
10-Betting Pacer S-Björn Goop-Björn Goop-10-1