Yonkers, NY – Harness racing’s Grand Circuit returns to MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (June 20) with two $25,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes eliminations for 3-year-old male pacers. The Grade 2 MGM Yonkers Trot for sophomore colts and geldings did not require eliminations, with the five horses entered moving straight to next Friday’s (June 27) $300,000 final.
The first leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown, the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes saw 16 horses dropped into the box, so there will be two eight-horse eliminations in races six and seven on Friday’s 10-race program, with the top four from each elimination moving on to next Friday’s Grade 2 $200,000 final.
Fast Choice (post five, Scott Zeron listed to drive for trainer Jared Bako), a rallying third in last Saturday’s (June 14) North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park, is among the entrants in the opening elimination, as are Manolete (post two, Zeron also listed for trainer Bruce Saunders), the runner-up in the New Jersey Sire Stakes final, Pennsylvania Sire Stakes standout Twisted Destiny (post six, Dexter Dunn listed to drive for trainer Chris Ryder) and North America Cup finalist Dandy Ideal (post seven, Jason Bartlett listed to drive for trainer Hunter Oakes).
Paxamillion (post two, Bartlett listed to drive for trainer Brittany Dillon) is the leading money earner this year in the second elimination thanks to his victory in the Virginia Breeders final at Woodstock last time out. He will face the likes of last year’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Papi’s Rocket (post eight, Yannick Gingras listed to drive for trainer Ron Burke) and New York Sire Stakes star Thirsty Thursday (post one, Tyler Buter listed to drive for trainer Hunter Oakes).
A full look at the elimination fields for the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes is as follows:
Elimination #1 – Race 6
Post Position-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Jon I Love Dat-Yannick Gingras-Janice Connor
2-Manolete-Scott Zeron-Bruce Saunders
3-Lochlan Hanover-Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander
4-Snack Attack-Joe Bongiorno-Joe Bongiorno
5-Fast Choice-Scott Zeron-Jared Bako
6-Twisted Destiny-Dexter Dunn-Chris Ryder
7-Dandy Ideal-Jason Bartlett-Hunter Oakes
8-Currys Flurry-George Brennan-Scott Di Domenico
Elimination #2 – Race 7
Post Position-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1-Thirsty Thursday-Tyler Buter-Hunter Oakes
2-Paxamillion-Jason Bartlett-Brittany Dillon
3-Holt Hanover-Mark MacDonald-Ray Schnittker
4-Meltdown Monte-Matt Kakaley-Scott Di Domenico
5-World Of Wishes-Jason Bartlett-Chris Ryder
6-Odds On No Limit-Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander
7-Banderas-Jordan Stratton-Tony Alagna
8-Papi’s Rocket-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke
As for the MGM Yonkers Trot, the opening leg of the Trotting Triple Crown, the following horses (in alphabetical order) were entered:
Chat Room
Happy Jack B
Hard Seven
Super Chapter
Variegated
Chat Room won his division of the Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon Downs last time out, while Hard Seven captured the Dexter Cup at the Meadowlands earlier this year. Super Chapter comes off victories in the New York Sire Stakes and Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon and Variegated won a split of the New York Sire Stakes at Vernon and was last year’s NYSS champion at Yonkers.
In addition to the MGM Grand Messenger and MGM Yonkers Trot finals, their companion stakes races – the Grade 3 Park MGM for pacing fillies and the Grade 3 New York New York Mile for filly trotters – will be part of next Friday’s stakes-filled program.
Prior to the Grand Circuit action on Friday, the New York Sire Stakes program makes its first stop at Yonkers this year on Thursday (June 19) with two $77,300 top level tests and a pair of $20,000 Excelsior Series groupings for rookie pacing colts and geldings.
MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday/Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday live racing schedule with post time at 6:45 p.m. However, the oval will also host action on Wednesday (June 18) this week.