On Wednesday, July 6, the Jimmy Takter-trained Leader Of The Gang drew Post 2 and was made the 9-5 morning-line favourite for the 57th edition of Yonkers Raceway's $445,474 Yonkers Trot

, which will be contested Saturday, July 9 over the half-mile oval.

Takter, who is on the ballot to be nominated to the Harness Racing Living Hall of Fame, has enlisted David Miller to drive the Leader Of The Gang, a son of 1998 Trot winner Muscles Yankee. Takter will be looking to win the Yonkers Trot for the third consecutive year.

A total of seven three-year-olds --- five colts and two geldings --- were entered the first jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown. The stakes event has been carded as Race 9 on the 12-dash program. First-race post time will be 7:10 p.m., while the Yonkers Trot will head to post at approximately 10:05 p.m.

Leader Of The Gang won half of his 10 starts and $360,468 as a two-year-old. This season, he has recorded one third-place finish from four tries.

Takter and Miller combined to win the 2010 Yonkers Trot with On the Tab. Takter also won the 2009 edition with Judge Joe.

Del Cielo outdrew his six rivals and will be steered by Yonkers’ leading driver, George Brennan. The son of Broadway Hall has a pair of wins from 12 lifetime starts and has been installed as the 3-1 second morning line selection.

Evil Urges is the lone New York-bred in the field. The Cash Hall gelding has recorded a pair of New York Sire Stakes wins in last three races. He has drawn Post 5. Jimmy Whittemore will drive the 4-1 early third choice for co-owner/trainer Homer Hochstetler.

Pegasus Blue Chip (PP4, Y. Gingras) and Live Jazz (PP6, J. Meittinis) will race as a common-ownership entry. Both charges will roll into town off of open-length wins in their most recent efforts. The former is a son of 2006 US Horse of the Year (and Trotting Triple Crown winner) Glidemaster, while the latter, an Andover Hall colt, has among his co-owners Hall of Famers John Campbell and Chuck Sylvester. The entry is listed as the early 5-1 fourth choice.

Celebrity Bombay (PP3, Br. Miller, 8-1) and the other gelding, Bambino Hall (PP7, Ti. Tetrick, 10-1), complete the field.

Saturday night's $237,714 Hudson Filly Trot (Race 8, 9:45 p.m. approx.) also drew a field of seven, with standout New York-bred Jezzy (PP3, Ti. Tetrick) leading a 6-5 coupling.

The field for the Hudson Filly Trot is as follows: 1-Angelette Hanover (G. Brennan, 4-1), 2-Lady Rainbow (J. Gregory, 5-1), 3-Jezzy (Ti. Tetrick, 6-5, coupled with Iron Lady), 4-Creme de Cocoa (D.R. Ackerman, 5-1), 5-Thatsnotmyname (J. Takter, 6-1), 6-Iron Lady (C. Manzi, 6-5, coupled with Jezzy), 7-Cabaret Princess (R. Pierce, 12-1).

Please note that Thatsnotmyname and Cabaret Princess, both trained by Takter, shall be uncoupled due to separate ownership.

(Yonkers)

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