Yonkers, NY – Coastal Babe N and driver Yannick Gingras went wire-to-wire in 1:52.2 in the first of three $50,000 divisions in the fifth and final preliminary leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Series for pacing mares at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (April 24), assuring the $200,000 added final on May 8 will be a matchup of two impressive New Zealand imports.
Coastal Babe N out-sprinted four rivals to the front on the first turn and never looked back, cutting rated fractions of :28 seconds and :56.2 for the first half-mile. Two-leg winner Tarapasta, with Matt Kakaley, advanced quickly on the backstretch to take up the chase and was able to move into the pocket past the 1:24.4 three-quarters as Rocket Deo could not keep with the pacesetter.
A final quarter sprint of :27.3 with just mild urging by Gingras assured a safe victory for Coastal Babe N, her third in just four series legs she was entered in. Tarapasta finished second, with Seaside Diva third and Aardie B Miki N, last year’s champion, fourth.
Trained by Jared Bako and owned by Kap Singh Racing Stables, Stanley Klunowski, Earl Hill Jr. and Donald MacRae, Coastal Babe N was a winner for the fifth time in seven starts in 2026. As the 4-5 public choice, Coastal Babe N returned $3.90 to win and keyed a $10.18 exacta and a $49.44 trifecta.
Louies Girl N made it four wins in five legs of the McIntyre Series and completed the Kiwi-led final match-up with a brilliant first-over power move that catapulted her to a 1:51.4 victory, equaling her career-best effort. Louies Girl N, guided by Jason Bartlett, out-sprinted pacesetter Millwood Bliss N while pacing a :26.4 final quarter in the process.
Louies Girl N left strongly from the pole but yielded to Walkin On Sunshine and Scott Zeron late on the first turn. Millwood Bliss N, a two-leg winner with Dexter Dunn, was quick to dispute the top and took over at the :27.4 first-quarter marker. Millwood Bliss N cut a rated :56.3 half and was on her way to a 1:25 three-quarters when Bartlett pulled the 1-20 favored Louies Girl N and quickly challenged for supremacy.
The two mares were eye-to-eye through the final turn, but Louies Girl N disposed of the leader and cruised to victory. Walkin On Sunshine rallied for the second spot over Millwood Bliss N, with Turn The Page N fourth across the wire.
Trained by Per Engblom, who is hoping to go back-to-back in this series following Aardie B Miki N’s standout effort in the 2025 edition of the race then known as the Blue Chip Matchmaker, Louies Girl N is owned by Peaceful Acre Farm. As the prohibitive favorite, Louies Girl N returned $2.10 to win and keyed a $2.90 exacta and a $8.76 trifecta.
Tick A Loch A and Jordan Stratton surprised in the final $50,000 division, and in doing so the Australian-bred locked up a spot in the final. Tick A Lock A came overland off a quick pace and collared pacesetter Bath Bomb in the final strides in a 1:52 clocking.
Silk Cloud A, the 3-5 choice with Lauren Tritton, left alertly for the lead, with Bath Bomb and Andrew McCarthy to her outer flank. Silk Cloud A took over off the first turn and parked Bath Bomb to the sizzling opening fraction of :26.4. McCarthy tried to rate Bath Bomb as best he could, but the daughter of Lather Up set hot fractions of :54.4 and 1:23.2 on her own.
Stratton had Tick A Loch A on the move off the third turn, and she advanced slowly through the third quarter and then got close to Bath Bomb on the final turn. Dougs Babe A and Dexter Dunn slipped out behind the winner and tried to rally, but Tick A Loch A was determined and drove by Bath Bomb for the victory. Dougs Babe A settled for third with Silk Cloud A fourth.
Tick A Loch A had bookend victories in the series, winning in round one and now the final for trainer Chris Height and owner Michael Casalino Jr. As a 7-1 offering Tick A Loch A returned $16.56 to win, leading an exacta worth $63.18 and trifecta payout of $356. A 6-year-old by Always B Miki, Tick A Loch A has four wins in 10 starts in 2026.
With the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series prelims now complete, the mares that have unofficially advanced to the May 8 final are:
Louies Girl N (350 points)
Tarapasta (300 points)
Coastal Babe N (275 points)
Millwood Bliss N (245 points)
Seaside Diva (245 points)
Tick A Loch A (233 points)
Silk Cloud A (225 points)
Aardie B Miki N (221 points)
That program on May 8 will also have the $200,000 (added) final of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series and $100,000 (guaranteed) consolations for both the McIntyre and the Borgata. The field for the Borgata championship will be set after a trio of $50,000 splits on Monday (April 27).
MGM Yonkers Raceway is now operating on a Monday-Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday live racing schedule with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT), except on Saturdays when it is 3:30 p.m. (EDT).