After opening his campaign with back-to-back wins, including a victory over stablemate and returning O'Brien and Dan Patch Award winner Maryland, Super Chapter will look to capture the first jewel in the Trotting Triple Crown when he faces four rivals in Friday’s $300,000 USD MGM Yonkers Trot (Grade 2) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Super Chapter, trained by Marcus Melander, will start from post one with driver Dexter Dunn and is the 2-5 morning line favourite in the event for three-year-old trotters. Melander is a two-time winner of the Yonkers Trot, with the colt Gimpanzee in 2019 and the filly Joviality S in 2022.

In his most recent race, June 13 at Vernon Downs, Super Chapter defeated Maryland by 1-3/4 lengths in a career-best 1:50.4 in an $119,521 division of the Empire Breeders Classic. The time is the second fastest of the season by a three-year-old trotter.

The son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit opened his season on May 26 with a four-length win over Monserrate in 1:53.3 in a $80,959 division of the New York Sire Stakes at Vernon.

Eliminations for the Yonkers Trot, which had been scheduled for June 20, were unnecessary as all five entrants advanced directly to the final at the half-mile oval.

“I was happy there was no eliminations, we could go straight to the final and not have to race him three weeks in a row,” said Melander. “The two races at Vernon were great and he’s doing well after the last race. Everything looks good.”

Last year, Super Chapter hit the board in nine of 11 races, winning five and banking $715,113. His victories included a division of the International Stallion Stakes and the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series final, both at Lexington’s The Red Mile. He finished second to Monserrate in the Valley Victory Stakes at The Meadowlands to cap his campaign in late November. His mark of 1:52 was only one-fifth of a second off the season’s best for a two-year-old trotter.

“He was a great horse last year already,” said Melander. “Early last year, he showed a lot of potential; he was a fast horse. He’s always been a horse that’s very professional out on the track. He’s so easy to handle, he’s so easy on himself and very nice to drive. You can put him on the front, he can chase horses down, he never gets grabby or anything like that. He goes around any size track. He has everything you need to be a good horse.”

Super Chapter is owned by Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti. The colt was purchased under the name Lorax Hanover for $300,000 at the 2023 Standardbred Horse Sale. His mom, Lifetime Pursuit, won the 2014 Hambletonian Oaks.

Melander also will send out the morning line second choice in the Yonkers Trot, Variegated at 3-1. The son of Chapter Seven-White Cheetah will start from post three with Scott Zeron in the sulky.

Variegated opened his season with a win in the $138,889 Battle of Bunker Hill (Grade 3) at Plainridge Park on May 15 then romped to a six-length victory in a career-best 1:52.3 in a division of the New York Sire Stakes at Vernon. In his most recent outing, he finished second to Chat Room in a division of the Empire Breeders Classic.

Last year, he captured the New York Sire Stakes championship for freshman male trotters at Yonkers Raceway. He has hit the board in nine of 11 lifetime starts, winning four and earning $443,993 for owner S R F Stable.

“Super Chapter is the favourite, and he should be, but Variegated is not a bad horse,” said Melander. “He jogged in the Sire Stakes in [1]:52 at Vernon. He wasn’t as sharp in his last start, I don’t really know why, but he seems good training and he’s gone around half-mile tracks before, so he’ll be all right there.”

Chat Room, who will start the Yonkers Trot from post four with Tyler Buter driving for trainer John Butenschoen, is the 6-1 third choice.

The Yonkers Trot is followed in the Trotting Triple Crown by the Hambletonian Stakes (Aug. 2 at The Meadowlands) and Kentucky Futurity (Oct. 5 at The Red Mile).

On Friday, Yonkers also will host the first jewel in the Pacing Triple Crown, the $200,000 USD MGM Grand Messenger Stakes (Grade 2) for sophomore pacers. Twisted Destiny, who won one of last week’s two eliminations, is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the final. He will start from post three with Dunn driving for trainer Chris Ryder.

In addition, there will be two $50,000 USD divisions of the Park MGM Pace (Grade 3) for three-year-old fillies and two $60,000 USD divisions of the New York New York Mile (Grade 3) for sophomore trotting fillies. Monalishi, an O’Brien Award winner in Canada last year, is among the horses in the New York New York Mile. It will be her first time racing anywhere other than Woodbine Mohawk Park for trainer Blake MacIntosh.

Racing begins at 6:45 p.m. at Yonkers. The Yonkers Trot is race seven on the 11-race card, followed by the Messenger as race eight. For free daily TrackMaster Platinum past performances, courtesy the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, click here.

$300,000 USD MGM Yonkers Trot 
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Super Chapter - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
2. Happy Jack B - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
3. Variegated - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
4. Chat Room - Tyler Buter - John Butenschoen
5. Hard Seven - Todd McCarthy - Nancy Takter

$200,000 USD MGM Grand Messenger Stakes
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Manolete - Scott Zeron - Bruce Saunders
2. World Of Wishes - Joe Bongiorno - Chris Ryder
3. Twisted Destiny - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder
4. Fast Choice - Doug McNair - Jared Bako
5. Dandy Ideal - Jason Bartlett - Hunter Oakes
6. Banderas - Jordan Stratton - Tony Alagna
7. Papis Rocket - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Odds On No Limit - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
AE. Jon I Love Dat - Yannick Gingras - Janice Connor

(With files from USTA)