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Yonkers, NY — Vivid Wise As, representing Italy in Saturday’s $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot at MGM Yonkers Raceway, took advantage of a quick start to get the lead from post one, repelled multiple challengers throughout, and drew off in the closing stages to win the race in 2:23.1 over the distance of 1-1/4 miles.

Vivid Wise As drew off in the closing stages to win the race in 2:23.1. Mike Lizzi photo.

Driven by Matthieu Abrivard, Vivid Wise As, racing without shoes, stepped out quickly from the pole position but was faced with immediate pressure on the outside from Fashion Frenzie (Louis-Philippe Roy), and they would trot to the quarter like that in :28.3. Meanwhile, Etonnant (Anthony Barrier) had not had a quick beginning from post two and then elected to drive on three-wide to take up the first-over position from Fashion Frenzie prior to the :57.3 half-mile point.

The expected and hoped-for confrontation between Vivid Wise As and Etonnant was on from there, and Vivid Wise As used his rail position to keep Etonnant parked through three-quarters in 1:26.3. Etonnant then began to tire past that pole as It’s Academic (David Miller), hoping to bring the International Trot title to the U.S., made a three-wide charge from fourth-over that carried him into the first-over slot and alongside Vivid Wise As at the mile, which went on the board in 1:55.2.

It’s Academic could not sustain his bid, though, and Vivid Wise As accelerated away from him and pocket-sitter Jiggy Jog S (Dexter Dunn) in the final quarter en route to the victory by 2-3/4 lengths. Jiggy Jog S, who started behind Vivid Wise As in the trailing post nine, was the runner-up, and Bengurion Jet, driven by Vivid Wise As’s trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro, made it a memorable day for that barn by rallying to finish third. It’s Academic had to settle for fourth and Australia’s Aldebaran Zeus collected fifth money.

Vivid Wise As picked up his 35th win from 86 career starts and has now earned $3,626,865. Mike Lizzi photo.

“He went really fast today. He wanted to see if anyone made any moves and if anyone was going to attack, but nothing really happened, so after the first turn, he really controlled the race and did what he wanted to do all the way,” Abrivard said via interpreter Kristin Riise Ødegård. “On small tracks like this, he’s a horse that’s very difficult to get around. He knew that after he got a good post position and he got a good start that the other horses had to do a lot of work on the outside to catch him. He knew it was going to work out for him pretty quickly.”

Vivid Wise As, a 9-year-old Yankee Glide stallion bred by Atlantic Trot Inc. and owned by Bivans SRL and Bruni Racing Team AB, picked up his 35th win from 86 career starts and has now earned $3,626,865. He paid $7.50 to win as the 5-2 favorite and led a $56 exacta and a $646 trifecta.

“He’s very happy because he’s done this job for a long time and now all of his dreams are coming true,” Gocciadoro stated via Kristin Riise Ødegård.

Trainer Ake Svanstedt was pleased with Jiggy Jog S’s performance as well, saying, “I thought we would have a chance to win coming down the backstretch but when It’s Academic came at the leader the pace accelerated too fast. Still, it’s good to be second in this race.”