Seven three-year-olds — four colts and three geldings — have been entered for the 65th Yonkers Trot, the second jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown.
The entrants are led by New York standout Gimpanzee, whose Yonkers Raceway resume reads four wins in as many career tries. The son of Chapter Seven began his career with a dozen consecutive wins before finishing fourth and third, respectively, in the elimination and final of the Hambletonian.
Gimpanzee enters with earnings of $866,646, including $275,288 this season. Brian Sears is again scheduled to drive for trainer Marcus Melander and co-owners Courant Inc and S R F Stable.
The limited number of entrants makes this season’s race a single $500,000 dash, set for Aug. 31.
The alphabetical list of Yonkers Trot entrants, with declared drivers, is:
Gimpanzee (Brian Sears)
HL Revadon (Jim Marohn, Jr.)
Livinonthedash (Marcus Miller)
No Drama Please (Tim Tetrick)
Osterc (Dexter Dunn)
Sheenas Boy (Dunn also listed)
Soul Strong (Dunn also listed)
The 64th Messenger Stakes, the second jewel of the Pacing Crown, brings a dozen sophomore pacers to Westchester.
Art Rooney Pace winner Bettors Wish paid $30,000 for the privilege of buying in. He joins 11 rivals Saturday night in a pair of $40,000 eliminations, with the first four in each qualifying for the $500,000 finale Aug. 31.
Bettors Wish, a Bettors Delight colt who has hit the board in 21 of 22 career tries and amassed $1,111,600, won May’s $300,000 Rooney by six lengths in 1:51.4. He enters off a lifetime-best 1:47.4 effort in a Kentucky Sires Stakes event at the Red Mile, his seventh win in 10 seasonal tries ($839,544).
That win came five nights after capturing Northfield’s $400,000 Milstein Memorial. Trainer Chris Ryder co-owns Bettors Wish with Bella Racing, Fair Island Farm and Bettors Wish Partners, while Dexter Dunn drives.
The Messenger entrants are:
Aflame Hanover (Corey Callahan)
Air Force Hanover (Jordan Stratton)
American Mercury (Tyler Buter)
Bettors Wish (Dunn)
Branquinho (Buter also listed)
Buddy Hill (Sears)
Captain Trevor (Stratton also listed)
Escapetothebeach (Callahan also listed)
Lyons Johnnyjnr (Dan Dube)
Reigning Deo (Stratton also listed)
U S Captain (Jason Bartlett)
Waterway (Joe Bongiorno)
The companion events for these races — the $124,334 Hudson Filly Trot (seven entrants) and $122,224 Lady Maud Pace (six entrants) — go as single-sojourn events Aug. 31.
(Yonkers)