Yonkers, NY – Normally, Captain Albano finishing off a three-for-three run through the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series prelims would be the top story, but instead it was the tandem of leading driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Per Engblom who went up on the marquee as they won three of the four $50,000 divisions on Monday night (Dec. 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with Coaches Corner, Redwood Hanover and Huntinthelastdolar.
Coaches Corner won the second section in 1:52. After a battle with Soho Firestone A (Todd McCarthy) to the :27.3 quarter, Coaches Corner established command and kept it through middle-half stations of :56.1 and 1:24.3. Soho Firestone A tried to go after Coaches Corner from the pocket in the lane, but it was to no avail as Coaches Corner downed him by 2-1/4 lengths. Blazing Home N (Jordan Stratton), Tip Top Cat (Yannick Gingras) and Verdun (Pat Lachance) completed the order.
Trained by Engblom, Coaches Corner is a 5-year-old gelded son of Always A Virgin owned by Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey. Bred in Indiana by Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables, Coaches Corner made his 34th trip to the winner’s circle in his 91st effort and he has now pocketed $1.36 million. He returned $2.68 to win as the 1-5 choice and was atop a $3.14 exacta and an $8.16 trifecta.
Redwood Hanover was a 1:52.3 victor for Bartlett and Engblom in the next split. Redwood Hanover put up fractions of :28, :56.3 and 1:24.3, then held off a rally from pocket-sitter Catalpa Rescue A (McCarthy) by a head. Mossdale Ben N (Stratton) was third from first-over, followed by Nandolo N (Lauren Tritton) and Hemsworth N (Austin Siegelman).
A 5-year-old Stay Hungry stallion bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Redwood Hanover is owned by Evans Nation with Engblom Stable LLC and Hickory Hollow Stables. He has a summary of 16-6-13 from 65 appearances, has banked $502,054 and paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite. He led a $33 exacta and a $71.20 trifecta.
Huntinthelastdolar completed the Bartlett/Engblom hat trick with a 1:53.4 tally in the final flight. He was in front of his five foes at the :27.4 quarter, :57.2 half and 1:25.3 three-quarters and a :28.1 final kicker got him to the wire a length and three-quarters ahead of a first-over Spring Inhis Step A (McCarthy). Rounding out the top five were Sherlock N (Jim Marohn Jr.), Jamaican Rock A (Matt Kakaley) and Always A Thrill (Colin Kelly).
Engblom sent out Huntinthelastdolar, a 5-year-old gelded son of Huntsville, for owners E Five Racing and John Fielding. The Crawford Farms-bred Huntinthelastdolar is a 23-time winner from 70 trips behind the gate, has put away $1.13 million and returned $2.32 to win as the 1-9 favorite. The exacta was worth $3.90 and the trifecta kicked back $11.38.
As for Captain Albano, he prevailed in 1:52.3 in the night’s opening test. With McCarthy in the bike, he was positioned third as Calicojack Hanover (Dan Dube) cut opening-half panels of :27 seconds and :56.1. McCarthy wheeled Captain Albano first-over going to the 1:24.2 three-quarters, and Captain Albano wore down and went by Calicojack Hanover on the last turn. From there it was all Captain Albano as he pulled away to a 5-3/4-length win over a tiring Calicojack Hanover, with Captain Moore A (Kelly) up for third. Endofstory (Bartlett) was fourth and The Greek Freak (Kakaley) took fifth.
Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a 4-year-old son of Captaintreacherous bred by Fred Hertrich III, for owners Patricia Stable, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc., Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan. A Dan Patch Award winner in 2023 and 2024, Captain Albano now has 26 victories from 44 starts, has earned $2.10 million and returned $2.26 to win as the 1-9 favorite. He keyed a $12 exacta and a $51.02 trifecta.
Unofficially, the 10 horses who advanced to the $250,000 MGM Grand Prix Series final, which will be conducted at the distance of a mile and a quarter on Friday, Dec. 19, are:
Captain Albano (150 points)
Coaches Corner (125 points)
Huntinthelastdolar (125 points)
Redwood Hanover (112 points)
Soho Firestone A (100 points)
Spring Inhis Step A (83 points)
Mossdale Ben N (62 points)
Calicojack Hanover (50 points)
Catalpa Rescue A (35 points)
Always A Thrill (32 points)
Points for the series were earned on a 50-25-12-8-5 scale (winner gets 50 points, runner-up gets 25, etc.), and a horse had to race in all three legs to be eligible for the final and the $75,000 consolation, which will also take place on the Dec. 19 program. These same conditions apply to the companion MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series.
The final leg of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series will take place on Friday night (Dec. 12) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with a trio of $50,000 divisions slated to take place in races four, six and seven on the 11-race program.
MGM Yonkers Raceway is in the final two weeks of the 2025 meet, and outside of the program on Friday, Dec. 19, which is now scheduled to begin at 2:15 p.m. (EST), post time for the remainder of the Monday through Friday action has first-race post time at 6:45 p.m. (EST).