Yonkers, NY — There is just over two months before the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot on Sept. 7 at MGM Yonkers Raceway and the connections of 2023 winner Vivid Wise As have accepted an invitation for the 10-year-old to defend his title.

The connections of 2023 International Trot winner Vivid Wise As have accepted an invitation for the 10-year-old to defend his title. Mike Lizzi photo.

Somewhat lightly raced since his U.S. victory and unplaced in the Prix d’Amerique in January at Vincennes Racecourse, Vivid Wise As returned from a two-plus month break in action on June 23 over the same course and sat the pocket to be a very good third behind perhaps Europe’s best horse — Elitloppet winner Horsy Dream — and Prix d’Amerique champion Idao De Tillard in the E$200,000 Prix René Balliére.

A 2-3/4 length winner in 2:23.1 (1-1/4 miles) in the International last year, Vivid Wise As won as the 5-2 favorite versus a strong international field over the Yonkers surface in 2023. The Alessandro Gocciadoro trainee, who has earned just shy of $3.7 million in his career while winning 37 of 93 career races, is the first of 10 invitees expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The MGM Yonkers International Trot will be the centerpiece of a spectacular afternoon card (12:15 p.m. EDT post time) on Sept. 7 that also features a pair of $250,000 invitationals for older horses and the $1.8 million finals of the New York Sire Stakes.