by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Millionaire Obrigado has accepted an invitation to compete in Yonkers Raceway’s $1 million Yonkers International Trot, scheduled for Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15).
Obrigado replaces Italy’s Ringostarr Treb, who had to bow out with some blood issues and did not make the trip stateside.
Obrigado, a 6-year-old Boy Band gelding, has been the best thing to come out of Maine since bottled water, sporting career earnings of $1,362,019.
Co-owned by trainer Paul Kelley, Linwood Higgins, SRF Stable and Stable 45, Obrigado has won six of his 14 seasonal starts ($614,320). He comes off a win in the $160,000 Dayton Trotting Derby this past Friday (1:53.2).
Obrigado owns a 1:51.2 life-mark, taken this past August in winning the $193,000 Crawford at Vernon Downs. Mark MacDonald has the driving assignment.
Earlier Wednesday, the six Europeans in the Trot field touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport in their flight from Belgium. The six-pack included BBS Sugarlight (Norway), Explosive de Vie (Sweden), Jonesy (Finland), Oasis Bi (Italy), On Track Piraten (Sweden) and Tano Bork (Denmark).
A separate story about that arrival shall be sent later today.
Obrigado is the third American representative, joining Resolve and the mare Hannelore Hanover. Canada’s Flanagan Memory rounds out the world-class field of 10.
- Europeans arrive for Yonkers International Trot (Wednesday, October 05, 2016)
Six world-class European trotters touched down Wednesday morning (Oct. 5) at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, ready to compete in Yonkers Raceway’s $1 million Yonkers International Trot.
- On Track Piraten seeks better result in 2016 Yonkers International Trot (Monday, October 10, 2016)
Whether racing, training, or being an ambassador for harness racing, Sweden’s On Track Piraten puts his best foot forward. The popular 8-year-old gelding hopes to win over more fans in the U.S. this weekend when he competes for the second time in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot at Yonkers Raceway.
- Yonkers International Trot: History says beware of the mares (Monday, October 10, 2016)
The ladies have been champions of women’s rights to win in the famed International Trot, indelibly etching their names among the greatest performers in the history of the global classic. So, the stage is certainly set for another trotting tigress, Hannelore Hanover, the millionaire American mare sure to make her presence felt in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15), to be contested over the historic Yonkers Raceway half-mile oval.
- Resolve is favored in $1 million Yonkers International Trot (Tuesday, October 11, 2016)
Resolve on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 11) drew post No. 2 in a field of 10 for Saturday’s (Oct. 15) $1 million Yonkers International Trot and was made the 3-1 morning line favorite in the 1-1/4 mile invitational event at Yonkers Raceway.