by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Fans attending Yonkers Raceway’s $542,060 Messenger Stakes Saturday night not only get to see the third jewel of Pacing’s Triple Crown, they also get the always-popular freebie.

Yonkers Raceway is giving away baseball caps — green with white lettering — to the first 1,500 fans. The caps, featuring both the Raceway and Empire City logos, are to be distributed throughout the racing areas beginning just after 6 p.m.

The 54th edition of the Messenger is led by millionaire If I Can Dream, who looks to add this race to an already healthy resume. The Breeders Crown winner — a homebred son of Western Hanover — returns here for the first time since his handy victory in June’s $421,850 Art Rooney Pace.

If I Can Dream, part of a common-ownership entry, was made the 3-5 morning line favorite.

Tim Tetrick, the colt’s exclusive driver for the latter part of the season, retains the assignment Saturday for owner Bulletproof Enterprises and trainer Tracy Brainard. For the season, If I Can Dream has 10 wins, three seconds and a third in 19 starts. His earnings of $1,360,099 ranks second among pacers in 2009.

The field for the Messenger Stakes (ninth race), with declared drivers and morning line odds: 1-Fireintheshark (Jason Bartlett, 10-1); 2-Hypnotic Blue Chip (John Campbell, 3-1); 3-If I Can Dream (Tim Tetrick, 3-5); 4-Clear Vision (David Miller, 6-1); 5-Hail Storm (Jordan Stratton, 20-1); 6-Straight Shooting (Yannick Gingras, 3-5, coupled with If I Can Dream); 7-Doubleshotascotch (Jim Morrill, Jr., 15-1).

Yellow Diamond, sharing the same owner and trainer as If I Can Dream, is the early favorite for Saturday night’s $364,430 final of the Lady Maud Pace (seventh race) for 3-year-old fillies. Jim Morrill, Jr. drives the daughter of Western Terror, who, like her stablemate, has earned more than $1 million this season.

The field for the $364,430 Lady Maud Pace, with declared drivers and morning line odds: 1-Perfectionist (Daniel Dube, 12-1); 2-Up Front Kellie Jo (George Brennan, 8-1); 3-Shanghai Lil (Mike Lachance, 4-1); 4-Yellow Diamond (Morrill Jr., 4-5); 5-Kiss Me Kate (Campbell, 5-1); 6-Pumptuous (Miller, 20-1), 7-Personal Ad (Tetrick, 30-1); 8-Jkmusicofthenite (Gingras, 10-1).