It pays to have power, and that's exactly what Louies Girl N had in her arsenal in the first leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night, March 27. 

With Yonkers leading trainer Per Engblom handling her conditioning and leading driver Jason Bartlett at the controls, Louies Girl N made a huge move on the backstretch and rolled off to a brilliant 1:52.4 victory in the first of four $68,493 divisions. Owned by Peaceful Acres Farm of Litiitz, Pennsylvania, the six-year-old import by Lord Forbes out of One Bad Dream is undefeated in eight starts since arriving in North America last year.

Louies Girl N left from post two, but Bartlett allowed Square Deal (Scott Zeron) to pass off the opening bend. Rocket Deo, the second choice in the field, needed the full first quarter to clear the front for Dexter Dunn and paced there in :27.1. There wasn't any movement in the second quarter and so Dunn slowed the half to :56.3. The pace picked up with Coachellabound N and Brent Holland moving to the outside on turn three, and that flushed Bartlett from the three-hole with Louies Girl N once on the backstretch the final time. Within the blink of an eye, Louies Girl N sailed past Rocket Deo and opened ground on the field, hitting three-quarters first in 1:24.4 and adding a 28-second final quarter by herself to the wire. Rocket Deo held second with Coachellabound N third over Square Deal.

Louies Girl N returned $2.22 to win and keyed a $3.74 exacta and $16.80 trifecta.

Tick A Loch A and driver Matt Kakaley pulled off an upset in the second McIntyre division, going first-over and wearing down 1-5 favourite Bath Bomb in the homestretch for a 1:54.2 score. Sent off as an 11-1 proposition, the six-year-old daughter of Always B Miki and Timely Lock won for the third time in seven starts since her late season arrival last year in North America for trainer Chris Height and owner Michael Casalino Jr. of Freehold, New Jersey.

Cheryls Shadow, driven by Bartlett, took control of the action quickly, with favoured Bath Bomb and Andrew McCarthy taking over shortly before the 28-second opening fraction. Bath Bomb set a reasonable half in :57.3 but was put under pressure through the third quarter. Kakaley had Tick A Loch A on the flank of the pacemaker at three-quarters in 1:26.1, and the two raced around the final quarter in tandem. Fearless Ginger and Yannick Gingras was on the winner's cover second-over with Always Bstunning N and Tim Tetrick moving into third-over position before the final turn. Tick A Loch A took over in early stretch and was an easy winner, posting a :28.1 final quarter. Bath Bomb held second with Always Bstunning N finishing fastest of all for third over early leader Cheryls Shadow.

Tick A Loch A, who had been a bridesmaid in three of her last four races before Friday's victory, returned $25.50 to win and keyed a $40.64 exacta with the favourite, as well as a $292.16 trifecta.

In the third McIntyre division, Gingras put second choice Seaside Diva on the front-end midway through the first turn and never looked back, waltzing to a 1:53.3 victory at the expense of favoured Tarapasta.

Seaside Diva, trained by Ron Burke, set sensible early fractions of 29 seconds and :58.1 for the first half-mile in her second seasonal start. Tarapasta and Kakaley got away third but lost footing going to the quarter and needed to be settled, losing one spot before the second turn. Kakaley put the favourite on the move on the third turn and the pair challenged the winner through the accelerated three-quarters timed in 1:25.4. Seaside Diva accelerated through the final turn and paced home in :27.4 to win decisively. Tarapasta was second, 1-3/4 lengths behind the winner but well in front of third-place finisher Turn The Page N and Ron Cushing.

Seaside Diva is a five-year-old millionaire mare by Downbytheseaside out of Real Diva, who won for the 25th time in her racing career. She is a homebred for Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Knox Services of Mt. Vernon, Ohio and and Let It Ride Stables of Boca Raton, Florida.

Seaside Diva returned $5.80 to win and keyed a $13.44 exacta and a $30.74 trifecta.

Gingras and sire Downbytheseaside picked up a double in the McIntyre Series opener when Coastal Babe N captured the final division, going wire-to-wire from the pole position in the fastest mile of the quartet -- a 1:52.1 effort. It was the third win in four North American starts for trainer Jared Bako's recent import out of the Bettors Delight mare Jessies Girl.

Coastal Babe N discouraged leavers Aardie B Miki N and Walkin On Sunshine, the 3-5 favourite, with an explosive start for Gingras, with last year's series champion Aardie B Miki N and Bartlett finding a tuck in the pocket and Scott Zeron navigating a four-hole for Walkin On Sunshine. Coastal Babe N set fractions of 28 seconds and :56.3 for the first-half and kicked into gear off the third turn, sprinting a :27.3 panel with Bartlett asking Aardie B Miki N to stay in close proximity, while Walkin On Sunshine and Zeron struggled to make up ground on the outside. A final panel of 28 seconds was plenty for Coastal Babe N to cross the wire in front, with Aardie B Miki N a half-length back in second and Walkin On Sunshine further back in third.

The winning six-year-old distaffer is owned by Kap Singh Racing Stable of Yorktown Heights, New York, Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont., Earl Hill Jr. of Ohsweken, Ont., and Donald MacRae, Vernon Bridge, P.E.I.

Coastal Babe N returned $8.46 to win as the third choice. The exacta with Aardie B Miki N returned $16.64 and the trifecta adding the favourite returned $22.70.

The prelims of the McIntyre Series continue through Friday, April 24 before a $200,000 USD (added) final and a $100,000 USD (guaranteed) consolation on Friday, May 8.

Stakes action resumes on Monday, March 30 at Yonkers with five $50,000 USD groupings of the opening leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, and then the John Brennan Trotting Series commences with a pair of $30,000 USD flights on Wednesday, April 1.

Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)