Yonkers, NY — Desperate Man will look to stay undefeated in this year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series as he races in the first of a trio of $50,000 fourth-round splits on Monday night (April 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Five foes will line up against Desperate Man, who drew post five in the event, carded as race three on the 12-race program). Dunkin’ has two straight victories in the series himself, and Covered Bridge won a first-round division.

Following a 1:51.3 triumph in the third leg, Travis Alexander trainee Desperate Man seeks a fourth win in as many starts in MGM Borgata Pacing Series preliminary action on Monday at Yonkers. Luna De La Rosa photo.

In the second section (race four), someone will get their initial triumph in the 2024 edition of the Borgata. Former series champions Funatthebeach N and This Is The Plan are in this tilt, as are 2022 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes victor Pleaseletmeknow (post one) and multiple Borgata finalist Leonidas A.

Race 10 is the last of Monday’s Borgata flights, and Rocknroll Runa A looms as the one to beat as he has a pair of victories and a third in the prelims to date. Last year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion, Hellabalou, turned in a much improved effort in leg three and may be rounding into form at the right time.

A full look at the fields, with nominated drivers and trainers, is as follows:

Division 1 (Race 3)
1. Dunkin’ (Tim Tetrick, Scott DiDomenico)
2. Idealsomemagic A (George Brennan, Cory Stratton)
3. Torrid Saint A (Matthew Athearn, Jimmy Nickerson)
4. Covered Bridge (Jordan Stratton, Jeff Gillis)
5. Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley, Travis Alexander)
6. Sumomentsomwhere A (Yannick Gingras, Mickey Burke Jr.)

Division 2 (Race 4)
1. Pleaseletmeknow (Matt Kakaley, Travis Alexander)
2. Leonidas A (Austin Siegelman, Matthew Medeiros)
3. Funatthebeach N (Jordan Stratton, Jeff Gillis)
4. This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras, Mickey Burke Jr.)
5. Hemsworth N (Joe Bongiorno, Jared Bako)
6. Strengthfromabove (Joe Bongiorno, Besim Odza)

Division 3 (Race 10)
1. Rocknroll Runa A (Mark MacDonald, Larry Stalbaum)
2. Backstreet Shadow (Matt Kakaley, Travis Alexander)
3. Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett, Per Engblom)
4. Hellabalou (Yannick Gingras, Mickey Burke Jr.)
5. Venturesome Arden N (George Brennan, Ricky Bucci)
6. Fourever Boy (Mark MacDonald, Linda Toscano)

Preliminary round action in the Borgata Series continues through April 15, with the $200,000-added final slated to take place on April 22. This year’s Borgata final will also have a “win and you’re in” feature for the $125,000 Birthday Invitational Pace in May to celebrate 125 years of MGM Yonkers Raceway, the Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield on June 8, and the Aria Invitational at Yonkers (scheduled for Sept. 7).

The John Brennan Trotting Series will be added to the current mix of ongoing stakes races at Yonkers on Wednesday (April 3) with four $25,000 tilts to get that event underway. The Brennan, which has three prelims prior to a $55,000-added final on April 24, is named in honor of the longtime Standardbred Owners Association of New York horsepeople’s representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020. The series is for 3-year-olds and older who were non-winners of six pari-mutuel races or $200,000 through Feb. 1, 2024, with winners over $250,000 as of that date not eligible.

Friday night’s (April 5) program at Yonkers will be headlined by two $40,000 fourth-leg splits of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, for pacing mares. Mikala, Dougs Babe A and Incaseyoudidntknow all look for their second preliminary win in the first division (race four), while Lit De Rose goes for her third in the other section (race nine). She’ll take on the likes of Delitfulcatherin N (post six), one of last Friday’s victors. The opening rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through April 12, with the $125,000-added final on April 22.

Live racing takes place at Yonkers on a Monday-through-Friday schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT).