Its A Me Mario is capable of bringing grins because of his name, but he also can do it with his performances.

A stakes-winning five-year-old son of American Ideal-NF Salsa, Its A Me Mario heads to Monday’s second round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway as the 7-5 morning-line favourite in the first of five $50,000 USD divisions for the older male pacers. He will leave from post five with Jason Bartlett in the sulky for trainer Shane Tritton.

Last year, Its A Me Mario — originally named Untucked when he sold for $16,000 as a yearling at the 2021 Standardbred Horse Sale — won 11 races at Yonkers, a total surpassed by only three horses at The Hilltop. For his career at all tracks, Its A Me Mario has 16 victories among 30 top three finishes in 50 races. He has earned $501,350.

“He’s definitely got a good name,” Tritton said with a laugh. “My son [Levi] named him when he was a yearling. It’s a name that gets a lot of people smiling, at least.

“We’ve probably spoiled him a fair bit and looked after him a lot, but he’s been a really good horse his whole life. We just wanted to try to build him into a nice seasoned Open horse. Hopefully, we’re on the right path. Last year, we gave him a pretty soft year. He still won 11 races at Yonkers, which is no easy feat. We knew his four-year-old year was probably going to be a tough one for him, so we purposely dodged all the big fights and let him progress.”

In last week’s opening round of the six-leg Borgata Series, Its A Me Mario was a half-length second behind Mossdale Ben N in 1:51.1 in the rain. Desperate Man, who last year won four Borgata prelims and finished third in the final, was third. It was the second fastest of the night’s five Borgata divisions, bettered only by For Once Inmy Life’s 1:51 score.

Its A Me Mario, in his second race of the season, settled in third at the start, then began a first-over move to the front approaching the half-mile point. He settled on the lead with three-eighths of a mile to go but was unable to hold off Mossdale Ben N in deep stretch.

“I couldn’t have been prouder of his run,” said Tritton. “He probably wasn’t quite ready for that, but he really stood up against probably the two best horses in the series. He took it to them for at least 95 per cent of the mile.

“That’s not really his go. He usually gets cover and follows, but I told Jason before the race that this year we’re taking the gloves off. Jason was over the moon with him and he’s only going to get better. Maybe this week we can get away with a few points.”

All but one of Its A Me Mario’s lifetime wins have come over Yonkers’ half-mile oval. The exception was a New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) triumph in a career-best 1:49.4 as a three-year-old at seven-eighths-mile Vernon Downs.

“He’s such a beautiful driving horse on a half-mile track; I think that’s his biggest weapon,” said Tritton, who trains the gelding for owner Joshua Jay Graber. “There wouldn’t be many horses that can go as fast around a turn as he can.

“It showed last week. He had a couple pretty good horses in the race and he put about four or five lengths on them in an instant. So, he is that quick. Unfortunately, he just can’t go that quick the whole way. He’s got to try to use that speed at the optimal time.”

Its A Me Mario finished third in the NYSS championship at age thre at Yonkers despite starting from post eight. It’s one of four races worth at least $225,000 in which Its A Me Mario has competed in his career. He started from post seven in the 2023 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes and second-tier post 10 in the 2024 Aria Invitational, both at Yonkers, and post eight in the 2023 Meadowlands Pace at The Meadowlands.

“He’s been in a lot of real big races, but he’s never drawn inside in any of them,” said Tritton. “So, he really hasn’t got his chance to sit on good horses and give himself a crack. Hopefully, we can do that at some point. We just need to get a little bit more luck when it comes to the [post] draws.”

Its A Me Mario enjoyed a two-month respite from racing to get ready for the Borgata, which continues with weekly preliminary rounds through April 28. The $200,000 USD added final and $100,000 USD guaranteed consolation will be May 9.

“The whole offseason was about strengthening him up and getting him prepared for the Borgata,” said Tritton. “Everything has been perfect. His work at the moment is as good as I could ever ask of a horse. His attitude is great.

“Hopefully, he can step up with the big boys and do a little bit of damage. We don’t expect the world of him, but we’d like to be a player at least. He’s only got to find a little bit more and he’d be pretty hard to beat. But we’ll love him regardless.”

Racing begins at 6:45 p.m. at Yonkers. There is a $20,000 guaranteed Pick-5 pool, beginning in race five. For a free Monday program, click here.

(USTA)