Captain Albano stands alone as the only horse in this year's MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway with a two-for-two record after he won Monday's last of four $69,444 divisions in 1:51.4 for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Noel Daley. Redwood Hanover, Huntinthelastdolar and Mossdale Ben N took the other splits.

Captain Albano got away second behind fellow first-round victor Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett), but McCarthy brought Captain Albano to the outside before the :27.2 quarter and wrestled the top spot away from Coaches Corner beyond that point. Captain Albano then got to the half in :56.2 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3 as Bartlett pulled Coaches Corner for a final quarter attack.

The sprint was on to the wire, and Captain Albano responded to McCarthy's urging and the challenge of Coaches Corner, repelling him by half a length. American Dealer N (Daniel Dube) checked in third, followed by Tip Top Cat (Yannick Gingras) and Whats Stanley Got A (Jordan Stratton).

Daley trains Captain Albano, a four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-Angelou, for owners Patricia Stable of Massapequa, New York, L A Express And Sjoblom Inc. of Chesterfield, New Jersey, Sjoblom Racing Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida and Michael Dolan of Sarasota, Florida. A Dan Patch Award winner in 2023 and 2024, Captain Albano now has 25 victories from 43 starts and has earned $2,698,534. 

He paid $4.38 to win as the even-money second choice, keying a $5.08 exacta and a $21.28 trifecta.

While driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Per Engblom came up short with Coaches Corner, they did tally with both Redwood Hanover and Huntinthelastdolar. 

Redwood Hanover was up first as he got the lead in a :26.3 quarter, kept control through middle-half panels of :55.2 and 1:23.1 and came home in :27.4 to defeat leg one winner and pocket-sitter Soho Firestone A (George Brennan) by a length in 1:51. Sherlock N (Jim Marohn Jr.), Spring Inhis Step A (Todd McCarthy) and Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley) rounded out the top five.

A five-year-old Stay Hungry-Rockingcam Park stallion, Redwood Hanover is owned by Evans Nation of Seaford, New York, with Engblom Stable of Wrightstown, New Jersey and Hickory Hollow Stables of Spencerville, Indiana. He has a summary of 15-6-13 from 64 appearances and has pocketed $604,685. 

Redwood Hanover returned $10.82 to win as the 4-1 third choice and was atop a $24.56 exacta and a $642.60 trifecta.

Huntinthelastdolar, who was second to Captain Albano last Monday, captured his section in 1:52.4. He swung out from the two-hole to hit the front from Always A Thrill (Colin Kelly) after the :27.4 quarter and then backed down the half to :57.1 and the three-quarters in 1:25.1. Always A Thrill came off the pylons on the far turn to go after Huntinthelastdolar, but he came up three-quarters of a length short at the finish line. Blazing Home N (Jordan Stratton), Soho Down Jones A (George Brennan) and Catalpa Rescue A (Todd McCarthy) were third through fifth.

Engblom sent out Huntinthelastdolar, a five-year-old gelded son of Huntsville-Eighthunrdolarbill, for owners John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., and E Five Racing of Boca Raton, Florida. Huntinthelastdolar is a 22-time winner from 69 trips behind the gate and has banked $1,358,536. 

He paid $2.14 to win as the 1-9 favourite and led a $6.52 exacta and a $19.44 trifecta.

Mossdale Ben N, who was winless in nine tries since taking the final of MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers back in May, bagged his flight in 1:51.4 with Jordan Stratton driving for trainer Peter Tritton. 

Endofstory (Jason Bartlett) parked out The Greek Freak (Matt Kakaley) to the :26.2 quarter and the :54.3 half, and when The Greek Freak began to tire on the third turn, Mossdale Ben N and Hemsworth N (Austin Siegelman) moved off his cover to take up the first-over and second-over positions as Endofstory rolled through three-quarters in 1:22.3.

Endofstory remained in charge around the final bend and into the lane, but Mossdale Ben N sustained his brush to go by Endofstory and then kept a late-gaining Hemsworth N at bay by three-quarters of a length. Endofstory had to settle for third, followed by Jamaican Rock A (Todd McCarthy) and Racing Rebel (Yannick Gingras).

The seven-year-old Mossdale Ben N is owned by PJT Investments of Madison, Connecticut. A gelding by A Rocknroll Dance out of Mossdale Sue, Mossdale Ben N has 17 wins, 12 seconds and six thirds from 62 outings and has put away $776,497. 

The favourite returned $3.56 to win and led an exacta worth $31.70 while the trifecta kicked back $581.42.

The MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series prelims conclude on Monday, Dec. 8. Points for the series are earned on a 50-25-12-8-5 scale (winner gets 50 points, runner-up gets 25, etc.). The top 10 point earners get a spot in the $250,000 USD, 1-1/4-mile final on Friday, Dec. 19, while the next 10 point earners go in the $75,000 USD, 1-1/4-mile consolation on the same card. A horse must race in all three legs to be eligible for the final and the consolation for both the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series and the companion MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series.

Speaking of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series, that event resumes on Friday, Dec. 5 with three $50,000 USD sections of the second round. None of the leg one winners drew into the same race as Ari Ferrari J has post seven for Jason Bartlett and Tony Alagna in race three, Take All Comers has post seven for Todd McCarthy and Jim Campbell in race four and Sir Pinocchio landed post three for Jason Bartlett and trainer Ed Hart in race nine.

Through the end of the meet on Dec. 19, Yonkers is operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)