Yonkers, NY – Always Bstunning N was put into action in the early stages and posted a major upset, handing Louies Girl N, who had previously been unbeaten in North America, her first defeat in capturing the first of four $50,000 divisions in the second leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (April 3).
Driven by Tim Tetrick, Always Bstunning N paced the mile in 1:52.1, flying home in 27 seconds flat.
Rocket Deo, Always Bstunning N and Louies Girl all left the gate hard at the outset, with Rocket Deo crossing to the front into the opening bend for Dexter Dunn. Tetrick had Always Bstunning N away in good order and kept 1-10 favorite Louies Girl N parked three-wide initially before Jason Bartlett elected to reserve the heavy choice midway on the first bend. Meanwhile, Always Bstunning N assumed command at the quarter in :27.4 and Tetrick backed the pace down nicely, hitting the half in just :57.1.
Bartlett put Louies Girl N in motion on the third turn at the behest of Square Deal, who flushed her cover, and the pair set in motion on the backstretch. Tetrick was aware of the favorite’s action and picked up the pace, hitting three-quarters in 1:25.1 and setting sail in the final turn.
Rocket Deo struggled to keep with the leader, and Louies Girl N, for the first time in North America, had no answer to get close to the eventual winner. Always Bstunning N, a 12-time winner in 2025, won for the first time in 2026, following up a solid third-place finish in her Yonkers debut a week earlier for trainer Gretchen Athearn and owner Richard Poillucci.
As the 9-2 second choice, Always Bstunning N returned $11.54 to win and keyed a $18.86 exacta with the favorite. The trifecta with Rocket Deo was worth $51.40.
Millwood Bliss N made a break before the start in the opening round, but the 6-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou erupted in the second leg with a forceful first-over assault for driver Dexter Dunn and rolled on to a dramatic upset at 52-1 odds in the second McIntyre division, completing the mile in 1:53.
Favorites Seaside Diva (even money) and Walkin On Sunshine (3-5) dueled in the early stages, with Yannick Gingras and Seaside Diva seating the favorite with driver Scott Zeron off the opening bend before cutting the opening fraction in :28.2. Seaside Diva, a first leg winner, then hit the half in :57.3 and appeared to have the race in her control.
Dunn pulled the Nifty Norman-trained Millwood Bliss N on the third turn, and the mare responded quickly to be the heat on the leaders, gaining equal terms with Seaside Diva passing three quarters in 1:26 flat. Silk Cloud A and Lauren Tritton had rallied up second-over on the final turn, but Millwood Bliss N was determined and drove past the leader, kicking home in :26.4 to earn the victory. Silk Cloud A had to settle for second, with Walkin On Sunshine finding some room between horses in the stretch for third. Seaside Diva faded to fourth.
Owned by Tom Vassiliou, Cool Cat Racing, Nicholas Tallarico and Archie McNeil, Millwood Bliss N paid $106.60 to win and keyed impressive exotics, with the exacta worth $497.90 and the trifecta $2,400.06.
A favorite finally got on the board in the third McIntyre division as Coastal Babe N and driver Yannick Gingras made it two straight in the series, utilizing the pole position for the second straight week to create another virtual wire-to-wire performance. Coastal Babe N scored decisively in 1:52.3.
Fearless Ginger and Scott Zeron blasted to the front on the first turn while Lydeo and Colin Kelly ducked in behind Coastal Babe N in the early stages. Second choice and last year’s series champion Aardie B Miki N tried to leave from post seven but had to find a four-hole tuck on the opening bend to keep from being parked.
Coastal Babe N and Gingras regained the lead on the backstretch and proceded to cut fractions of :27.3 and :56.4 for the first half-mile before shifting into high gear on the third turn. Dexter Dunn, driving My Sweet Lily, tried to flush Aardie B Miki N’s cover on the third turn, but Bartlett only pulled briefly with Aardie B Miki N before moving back to the pylons off the third turn. While that was going on behind her, Coastal Babe N paced three-quarters in 1:24.4 and sprinted home in :27.4 for the victory for trainer Jared Bako. Fearless Ginger held second, with Lydeo winning a photo with Aardie B Miki N for third.
Owned by Kap Singh Racing Stable, Stephen Klunowski, Earl Hill Jr. and Don MacRae, Coastal Babe N, as the heavy chalk, returned $2.68 to win and keyed a $22.74 exacta and a $151.88 trifecta.
Tarapasta and Matt Kakaley turned in the fastest of the four divisions, scoring a wire-to-wire victory in the final $50,000 stanza. Tarapasta paced to a 1:52 mile, sprinting a final :27.3 quarter in the process while winning for the first time in eight starts in 2026.
Tarapasta unseated favorite Huntress for the top spot off the first turn and rolled on to the opening quarter in :27.2. With few challenges, the Greg Luther Racing LLC.-owned daughter of Downbytheseaside set fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.2 for the middle-half, with Bath Bomb and Andrew McCarthy taking up the challenge without cover on the backstretch. Tarapasta would draw clear for Kakaley in the homestretch, and Bath Bomb bravely defeated favorite Huntress for the second spot. Huntress, making her first start in the series, finished third with Stayingwiththewind fourth.
Tarapasta is trained by Travis Alexander and returned $10.16 to win as the third choice in the field. Tarapasta keyed a $26.28 exacta and a $125.16 triple. Tarapasta had a troubled trip in the opening leg but recovered to finish second off a first-over trip.
The MGM Ursula McIntyre Series prelims continue through Friday, April 24 before a $200,000 (added) final and a $100,000 (guaranteed) consolation on Friday, May 8.
Stakes action continues at MGM Yonkers Raceway Monday (April 6) and Wednesday (April 8) with the second legs of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series and the John Brennan Trotting Series, respectively. In the Borgata, two of the opening round victors – Donegal Luther N and Chase H Hanover – meet up in the last of four $50,000 sections (Race 7). Meanwhile, the John Brennan Trotting Series was divided up into a pair of $30,000 splits.
In addition to the Borgata races, Monday’s program also has a $10,332.20 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in the Pick-5 sequence after no winning tickets were held Friday night.
The guarantee in the Pick-5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. Free past performances for the Pick-5, courtesy of TrackMaster, will be available at handicapping.ustrotting.com. The Pick-5, which begins in race five and has a $1 minimum and a takeout rate of 20 percent.
MGM Yonkers Raceway is operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).