Yonkers, NY – Captain Albano was a winner in his first start at MGM Yonkers Raceway after he captured Saturday afternoon’s $200,000 Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace. A two-time Dan Patch Award recipient, Captain Albano covered the mile and a quarter distance in 2:21.1.
Driver Todd McCarthy kept Captain Albano on the outside from post six and watched as Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) and Racing Rebel (Yannick Gingras) battled for early supremacy. Coaches Corner would clear on the way to the :27.3 quarter and then McCarthy drove Captain Albano forward to wrestle the top spot away from Coaches Corner coming to the :56.2 half-mile station.
Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley), who landed fourth from a trailing post 10, was out and pressing first-up approaching the half, giving cover to Jamaican Rock A (Scott Zeron), Soho Firestone A (Dexter Dunn) and Verdun (Pat Lachance). Desperate Man advanced into second on the rim but could only offer mild pressure to Captain Albano to three-quarters in 1:25 and to the mile marker in 1:54 as Jamaican Rock A was swung out three-wide by Zeron.
Jamaican Rock A loomed to Captain Albano’s flank after being shown the clear racetrack, but Captain Albano, who was second in a hard-fought Jim Ewart Memorial at Eldorado Scioto Downs a week ago, had the answer to his challenge and to Coaches Corner through the lane, defeating the latter by a half-length. Jamaican Rock A wound up third, followed by Verdun and this year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion Mossdale Ben N (Jordan Stratton).
“This horse has a heart of gold. He had a big start there at Scioto and with the ship it’s a real credit to his heart and personality to be able to come back and do that. He was pretty strong on the end still,” McCarthy said after the win. “He stepped out of the gate nice and I wanted to let Yannick and Jason sort their positions out before I kept pressing. We had to do a little bit to get around but once he got there, he settled nice for me. He’s just a true professional.
“I was kind of keeping an eye on Scotty down the back there. I knew when he’d be moving he’d probably be going pretty quick. I made sure I had a little bit of gas left in the tank. When I asked him at the top of the straight, he had a little bit left for me.”
Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a 4-year-old son of Captaintreacherous, for owners Patricia Stable, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc., Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan. He has a summary of 23-6-2 from 36 career starts, has pocketed $1.92 million, and paid $3.64 to win as the favorite. The exacta was $9.72 and the trifecta kicked back $72.40.
Up Your Deo dominant in Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot
The 2023 MGM Yonkers Trot champion Up Your Deo took command early in Saturday afternoon’s $200,000 Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot at MGM Yonkers Raceway and never relinquished it, cruising to an impressive 2:23.2 triumph over the mile and a quarter.
After battling past the start with last year’s MGM Yonkers Trot victor Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett), Up Your Deo (Dexter Dunn) cleared him for the top spot prior to the :27.1 quarter. Behind them, race favorite Antognoni S (Yannick Gingras), who captured the final of this year’s John Brennan Series at Yonkers, landed third from post eight as defending Miecuna winner Ari Ferrari J (Todd McCarthy) made a break.
Up Your Deo continued on the point to the half in :56.1 and Antognoni S would make another move by coming first-over past that station. However, he stalled prior to the 1:25.1 three-quarters and then began to retreat before the 1:53.4 mile as Up Your Deo got separation from both Antognoni S and the pocket-sitting Sir Pinocchio.
There was no catching Up Your Deo around the final turn and to the wire as well, as he remained clear and prevailed by 2-3/4 lengths. Security Protected (Scott Zeron) went three-wide from fourth to get around Antognoni S early on the last turn and got up to finish a clear second while Ghostly Casper (Jordan Stratton) and Ferretti (Matt Kakaley) were up for third and fourth from the tiring Sir Pinocchio.
Trainer Ake Svanstedt co-owns Up Your Deo, a 5-year-old stallion by Walner, with breeder Deo Volente Farms and their partners Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc. and Van Camp Trotting Corp. Up Your Deo has a summary of 9-5-7 from 40 starts, has put away $1.10 million, and returned $7.90 to win as the 5-2 third choice. He was atop a $34.66 exacta and a $522.42 trifecta.