Talk Curdy To Me needed a win in the last preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series to qualify for the final, and the 5-year-old mare delivered. Now, she will attempt to cash in on that performance in Friday’s (May 9) Grade 1 final, which goes for a purse of $490,000 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Tag: Ken Weingartner
McCarthy seeks to roll with Hard Seven in Dexter
The road to the 100th edition of America’s Trotting Classic, the Grade 1 Hambletonian Stakes, begins Saturday (May 3) with the Grade 3 Dexter Cup for 3-year-old male trotters at The Meadowlands. The Dexter Cup is the season’s first Grand Circuit event for sophomore colt and gelding trotters and features four Hambletonian eligibles in the field. Leading that group is 8-5 morning-line favorite Hard Seven, who brings a four-race win streak to the Dexter Cup.
Roegner aims for Paver final with Bryant Bros S
Over the years, Jessica Roegner has not raced often at Miami Valley Raceway because of its distance from her base in northern Ohio. This season, though, the trainer has made the lengthy journey a little more frequently — and made the most of it.
NJSS champ McCusker set for return in Home Grown
McCusker’s emergence as a stakes winner last season proved to be something of a revelation and trainer George Ducharme is hoping for more good things from the pacer as he begins his 3-year-old campaign this weekend at The Meadowlands.
Beautiful Seaside aims to keep good times going in Matchmaker
Matt Rowe debated whether to send Beautiful Seaside from her home in Ohio to compete in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway, but as the event’s last preliminary round approaches on Friday, he’s happy with the decision to go. Beautiful Seaside has won two of her three races in the Matchmaker, which is for older female pacers, and heads into Friday’s action in sixth place in the series’ standings.
Miller aims for Weiss title with developing pair
Julie Miller will hope to see a couple of late bloomers continue their growth Monday (April 21) when they go behind the starting gate for the $50,000 Bobby Weiss Series final for 3-year-old male trotters at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs. Miller-trained Green Mel, coming off a 4-1/4 length win in a division of last week’s third round of the series, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the final. His stablemate Te Quiero Lindy, who had a 5-1/4 length victory in a division of the event’s second round, is the 4-1 third choice.
Tritton trio looks to continue success
After three rounds of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series and MGM Borgata Pacing Series, trainer Peter Tritton is pleased with where his horses are positioned in the standings. But he also knows there is still work to be done in the six-week events at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Tritton-trained Silk Cloud A is in second place in the standings of the Matchmaker Series, which is for older female pacers. In the Borgata Series for older male pacers, Tritton’s Mossdale Ben N is in a three-way tie at the top of the standings while his Sherlock N is positioned for a spot in the consolation.
Kakaley trio looks to make up ground in Borgata
Matt Kakaley heads into Monday’s (April 14) third round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series with three horses on the outside of the top eight in the standings, but each has an inside post position that the driver hopes can be used to pick up big points. Desperate Man, who won four preliminary rounds in last year’s series for older male pacers before finishing third in the final, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Monday’s first of four $50,000 Borgata divisions at MGM Yonkers Raceway. He will start from post two as he seeks his first victory in this year’s event.
One newcomer, one returnee, set to start Melander’s season
Marcus Melander will get his stable’s 2025 season underway Friday (April 11) at The Meadowlands, and he will do it with two horses that were competing overseas in recent years. Melander, who last year set career highs with 104 wins and $6.59 million in purses, will send out Aetos Kronos S and S I P in Friday’s featured $17,500 conditioned trot at The Big M.
Game on for Its A Me Mario
Its A Me Mario is capable of bringing grins because of his name, but he also can do it with his performances. A stakes-winning 5-year-old son of American Ideal-NF Salsa, Its A Me Mario heads to Monday’s (April 7) second round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the first of five $50,000 divisions for the older male pacers.