Marion Marauder wins elimination for 62nd Yonkers Trot
August 27, 2016,by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Hambletonian winner Marion Marauder (Scott Zeron, $2.60) made short work of his small-track debut, winning Saturday night’s (Aug. 27) lone $40,000 elimination for the 62nd Yonkers Trot.
Mike Lizzi photo
Marion Marauder trots around the Yonkers oval with a minimal amount of pressure to capture his elimination for the $500,000 Yonkers Trot.
“Marion,” starting from post position three in a Yonkers Raceway game of musical chairs (nine to eliminate one), took things in his own hooves early. The 3-10 choice moved past first leader Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley), then had few issues (:29.2, :58.4, 1:28.1, 1:56.2).
The margin was a 1-1/4 lengths over “Smalltown,” with Iron Mine Bucky (George Dennis) a drifting, three-hole third.
The real fun came in the back of the bus, when the second-tier Gleaming Memory (Ake Svanstedt) made an ugly break that directly wiped out Lagerfeld (Mark MacDonald), while any number of the trailers also broke, were impeded or were just plain outrun.
Steed (Brian Sears) was a best-of-the-rest fourth, with Hititoutofthepark (Corey Callahan), Cuffllink Hanover (Jason Bartlett), Celebrity Express (John Campbell) and Lagerfeld also earning berths into next Saturday’s (Sept. 3) $500,000 final. The open draw for the second jewel of Trotting Triple Crown is Tuesday morning (Aug. 30).
For Marion Marauder, a 3-year-old son of Muscle Hill trained by Paula Wellwood, who kept in the family for co-owners Marion Wellwood and Devin Keeling, it was his seventh win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $7.80, with the triple returning $22.60.
“I couldn’t have been more pleased with the way he trotted the half tonight,” Zeron said. “I’m confident in his abilities to get the job done in the final.”
“We just wanted him to get off the gate clean and command a race on a half-mile,” Mike Keeling, husband of the winning trainer, said. “I think he showed everybody that he can do that. He steered great and he trotted well.”
Saturday’s card also featured a pair of events for 3-year-old fillies, the $118,574 Hudson Trot and $109,050 Lady Maud Pace.
- Marion Marauder leads nine into Yonkers Trot; Messenger attracts eight (Tuesday, August 23, 2016)
Hambletonian winner Marion Marauder goes after the second jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown, leading nine 3-year-olds in the 62nd Yonkers Trot.
- Smalltownthrowdown tries to make big splash in Yonkers Trot (Thursday, August 25, 2016)
Smalltownthrowdown is ready for a small-track showdown. The Dan Daley-trained 3-year-old is among nine horses entered in Saturday’s $40,000 Yonkers Trot elimination at Yonkers Raceway. The gelding has raced four times this season on half-mile tracks, such as Yonkers, and won three. He heads to the elimination off back-to-back victories on half-mile ovals in New York Sire Stakes action.
- Winner’s circle draws Tuesday for Yonkers Trot, Messenger (Monday, August 29, 2016)
Post position draws for both Yonkers Trot No. 62 and Messenger Stakes No. 61 shall take place Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 30) in Yonkers Raceway’s winner’s circle. The pair of $500,000 Triple Crown events go Saturday night, with Hambletonian winner Marion Marauder and Hempt/Adios winner Racing Hill leading their respective fields.
- Confident Marion Marauder seeks Yonkers Trot trophy (Thursday, September 01, 2016)
As Hambletonian winner Marion Marauder prepares for Saturday’s (Sept. 3) $500,000 Yonkers Trot for 3-year-old trotters at Yonkers Raceway — the second jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown — trainer Paula Wellwood feels the horse is set in his ways. That’s great when it comes to being on the track, as Marion Marauder has won seven of nine starts this season, including this past Saturday’s Yonkers Trot elimination in his small-track debut.