Yonkers, NY — Preliminary action in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series ends on Monday (April 17) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with three $50,000 fifth-leg divisions.

After taking round four off, Lochinvar Art A (post one, Lauren Tritton) is back in Monday’s first grouping (race three). The 8-year-old Modern Art stallion has two wins and a second-place finish in the series thus far.

Lochinvar Art, pictured winning on March 20, returns to action in the final leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday. Mike Lizzi photo.

The second split (race six) looks like it could be a preview of the final, as new co-track record holder Backstreet Shadow (post seven, Matt Kakaley) faces leg winner Jimmy Freight (post one, Scott Zeron) and a pair of double-leg winners in Funatthebeach N (post four, Jordan Stratton) and Idealsomemagic A (post six, George Brennan).

Last, but certainly not least, race eight’s third flight has five horses – Hellabalou (post one, Yannick Gingras), Tattoo Artist (post two, Dexter Dunn), Covered Bridge (post four, Tyler Buter), Leonidas A (post five, Austin Siegelman), and Hemsworth N (post seven, Kakaley) – who have visited the winner’s circle at some point during the 2023 Borgata Series.

Once Monday’s Borgata tilts are finished, attention will shift towards the $200,000-added (estimated total purse $500,000 final on April 24. That card will also include the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final and consolation events for both races.

Yonkers will also offer the Borgata champion a “win and you’re in” opportunity to both the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield Park on June 10 and the $200,000 MGM Aria Pace at Yonkers on MGM Yonkers International Trot Day (Sept. 23).

To complement the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, the Empire Terrace dining room will be open 6-10 p.m. on Mondays through April 24. Owners and fans are invited to attend the races and enjoy food from an a la carte menu. No reservations are required.

Also, continuing through this month, the Pick-5 pool on Thursdays at Yonkers will be seeded with $10,000 and also have a guaranteed pool of $25,000. This initiative is being offered in partnership with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.

Stakes racing at Yonkers resumes on Wednesday (April 12) with five $25,000 second-round divisions of the John Brennan Trotting Series, and Friday’s (April 14) 11-race program features three $40,000 splits of the final preliminary leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, for pacing mares.

Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday-through-Friday live racing schedule with post time at 7 p.m. (EDT).