by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Glidemaster’s quest for a place in the history book began with a checkbook.

The connections of the sport’s richest horse in 2006 put up the $60,000 supplemental entry fee to start in the Yonkers Trot — the final jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown — at Yonkers Raceway. The 52nd, and by far richest Yonkers Trot at $728,000, is scheduled for next Saturday night, Nov. 25.

The Yonkers Trot, back at its namesake track for the first time since 2003, attracted eight 3-year-olds. Thus, elimination races that were scheduled for this Saturday night (Nov. 18) are not necessary.

Glidemaster already captured the Crown’s first two legs — the $1.5 million Hambletonian in August at the Meadowlands and the $526,000 Kentucky Futurity in October at the Red Mile. Glidemaster, a Yankee Glide colt, entered November with seven wins and seven second-place finishes in 14 seasonal starts with earnings of $1,554,236.

The Yonkers Trot shall be Glidemaster’s first career half-mile track effort. He is co-owned by Bob Burgess, Karin Olsson-Burgess, Marsha Cohen and Brittany Farms and is trained by Blair Burgess. George Brennan gets the driving assignment.

The quest for the Triple Crown is the swan song for Glidemaster, who goes for stallion duty in 2007 at Pennsylvania’s Walnridge Farm.

Opposing Glidemaster at Yonkers, and in alphabetical order, are: Algiers Hall, Bob Heyden, Here Comes Herbie, Ira K, Limbo Glide, Naughty Nunu and RC Royalty.

Algiers Hall and Here Comes Herbie are standout New York-breds who battled the past two weeks in the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs. The former whipped the latter in both the elimination and final, with the elim going in a world record (five-eighths-mile oval) 1:53.2.

Should Glidemaster win the Yonkers Trot, he would become the eighth winner of the Trotting Triple Crown, joining two-time Harness Horse of the Year Scott Frost (1955, the race’s first edition), Horse of the Year Speedy Scot (1963), Ayres (1964), three-time Horse of the Year Nevele Pride (1968), Lindy’s Pride (1969), Super Bowl (1972) and Windsong’s Legacy (2004).

The $546,830 Messenger Stakes, for 3-year-old colt pacers, attracted a half-dozen participants. Breeders Crown winner Shark Gesture looms a strong choice.

Shark Gesture has eight wins and two seconds in his 15 seasonal starts ($634,320). The son of Cam’s Card Shark is owned by Norman and Gerald Smiley and TLP Stable and is trained by Erv Miller.

The remaining quintet of Messenger entrants are Jake Of Diamonds, Livestrong, Palone Ranger, Perfect Union and Winslow Gambler.

The final jewel of the Triple Crown returns to Yonkers Raceway for the first time since Matt’s Scooter won in 1988 — the first and only year the race was held here. The Messenger debuted at Roosevelt Raceway in 1956 and remained there until the Long Island track’s demise in early 1988. Since, the nomadic race has been contested at Yonkers (as aforementioned in ’88), the now-defunct Freestate (Md.) Raceway, Rosecroft (Md.) Raceway and at the Meadows outside Pittsburgh before returning to the greater metropolitan area.

Like the Yonkers Trot, no elims were needed for the Messenger, and the “winner-take-half” final is set for Nov. 25.

Post positions for the Yonkers Trot, Messenger Stakes, $291,456 Lady Maud Pace (six 3-year-old fillies) and $330,476 final of the Hudson Filly Trot shall be drawn next Wednesday (Nov. 22), as part of the regular Saturday draw. The Hudson attracted 11 sophomore fillies, with a pair of $20,000 elimination races set for this Saturday night.