It has been three long years since Zacon Gio won ahead of Slide So Easy and Marion Marauder in the 2019 MGM Yonkers International Trot and another quality field has been assembled for the 2022 edition, scheduled for Saturday (Oct. 15) at Yonkers Raceway.
As many people from North America are unfamiliar with the European six-pack of horses hoping to take home the winner’s share of the $1 million purse, more detail and race analysis from Yonkers Raceway's media department has been provided on those contenders below.
Tycoon Conway Hall (Post 1)
Representing Denmark, Tycoon Conway Hall drew a perfect post position. The horse born on Feb. 11, 2010 is surely the best 12-year-old trotter in the world this year, having won in 1:52.1 and 1:52.3f earlier this year. In his final start before Yonkers, he easily won in 1:56f in Norway. The son of Conway Hall will make his 94th start in the MGM Yonkers International Trot. He can leave fast and is a good front-runner, yet is equally comfortable coming from behind. In fact, in both his 1:52.1 and two 1:52.3f wins this year, he's enjoyed cover well into the fourth quarter before unleashing his speed at the end.
Tycoon Conway Hall tends to be a bit undervalued in bigger races. Make no mistake about it, this is a very good trotter. If driver Kasper Foget wants to, he should take the lead. Reports in Danish media and interviews with Foget and groom Rie Raun all suggest the Danish-born trotter is aiming for the lead. The probability of his succeeding at that is very high. The question is, what happens after a quarter or so?
Cokstile (Post 3)
The Norwegian duo of Cokstile and Stoletheshow find themselves in posts three and four. Both have won European group 1 races in 2022 and cannot be underestimated. Cokstile was one of the best in the crop at three and, the following year, established himself as one of the best when he won the Norwegian Derby. He was also second in the Jarlsberg Grand Prix in 1.52.3f, one of the fastest times by a four-year-old in Europe that year. He started in the 2018 Elitlopp, but the season was a setback as injuries limited the horse to only six starts.
He started 2022 by winning the Prix de Bourgogne, defeating horses such as Vivid Wise As, Don Fanucci Zet, Davidson du Pont and Zacon Gio. In May, he won the Finlandia Ajo and, in September, the Campionato Europeo in Cesena, Italy. Three different races, in three different countries, on three different track sizes and with three different drivers. Cokstile is extremely versatile.
In his youth in Norway, he was more of a front-runner, but after being bought by his Italian owners was often given cover until unleashing his speed late. In the latter years, he’s also added something else to his repertoire, namely the ability to win after going first-over. That’s how he won the Finlandia Ajo in 1:51.2f. It’s also how he won the second heat as well as the race-off of the Campionato Europeo. The 1:54.2h race-off win of the latter race was particularly impressive. Cokstile wasn’t merely parked outside. He was pressing incessantly until a completely worn-down stablemate Usain Toll hoisted the white flag and begged for mercy in the last turn. After such a performance, the ambitions were high in the Lotteria, but he only finished fourth in his elimination and missed out on the final.
That performance is the question mark: Is Cokstile’s current form good enough? Cokstile can challenge for the lead, although he may not be fast enough to get the lead before the first turn. Dell’Annunziata rarely bothers going all-out from the start. He might end up being parked outside and, if not, he may just get great cover. Either way, it doesn’t matter too much because a Cokstile in top form is good enough to win this race regardless of the trip.
Stoletheshow (Post 4)
The Dream Vacation son Stoletheshow won the Norwegian Criterium at three and, although he was good, he couldn’t quite follow up at four. The colt continued to do well at five, finishing second in the Group 1 race Jubileumspokalen and winning another race in 1:53.3f, but he was seemingly a tiny notch below the best. It didn’t go too much better in 2021 when he was winless come mid-September. That’s when owner Suleyman Yuksel decided to move the horse to a new trainer.
In the hands of Norwegian champion trainer Frode Hamre, the horse has blossomed into an absolute star. Hamre knew the horse had plenty of ability and instead set out on building him up mentally. In his first two starts, Stoletheshow twice lost to stablemate Ble du Gers. On both occasions, Hamre surrendered the lead to Ble du Gers and seemingly didn’t challenge too intensely down the final stretch. Some bettors even complained that he wasn’t actively trying to win the races. However, the relatively soft-spoken and smart trainer had a plan for his new trotter, one that would soon catapult the now seven-year-old to stardom.
A few easy wins against easy opposition followed before Hamre reintroduced him against the Swedish elite in February. An encouraging second-place, where he also finished ahead of Ble du Gers, has been followed by a string of consistent top-rate performances. In total, the horse has started 17 times for Hamre, winning eight, finishing 15 in the top three and all of them inside the top four. The highlights include winning the Group 1 races Oslo Grand Prix and Ulf Thoresen Grand International.
Stoletheshow was relatively fortunate with his post in the International Trot. The horse can leave fast. He may just be fast enough to get past Tycoon Conway Hall, but even if he doesn’t get to the front before the first turn, Hamre is expected to keep pressing until he gets there. Well in front, this can get very interesting, because Stoletheshow has great curve technique and is reportedly in absolute top form. If that is the case and he doesn’t have to burn too much energy getting to the lead, it will take somebody quite special to defeat him.
Etonnant (Post 7)
In a field full of special horses, nobody is more special than the aptly-named Etonnant, French for "amazing" or "astonishing." On raw ability alone, Etonnant would win. Forget 1:49 on a fast Pocono or Meadowlands --- or anything else for that matter. Etonnant’s 1:51.3f in the Elitlopp final is much more impressive than it sounds. From post seven, with a break on the backstretch, Etonnant put in a massive effort. The Timoko son never saw the rail, being three-wide in the second turn and four-wide in the final turn. Informal calculations, correcting for the much longer trip, have found that the horse in reality was close to a 1:49 clocking (had he stayed trotting and ran along the pylons the whole race).
It takes something special to win the International Trot and Etonnant surely has it. Unfortunately, he’s special in other ways, too. His gait isn’t always the smoothest and Etonnant’s curve technique leaves a lot to be desired. It’s never a problem on the bigger French racetracks, but it was evident at Solvalla. On the even smaller Yonkers track, it’s surely the question of the day on race day. If Etonnant gets around the curves without too much trouble, he’s the obvious candidate for the win. How realistic is that, though?
Kennedy (Post 9)
Kennedy had the eyes of Swedish trotting all over him for quite a while. The blue-blooded colt is the second foal from Lou Guida’s stellar Italian-born mare Lisa America, a multiple Group 1 winner in Europe. For a long while, however, Kennedy was decent but nothing more. After six wins in 52 starts and earnings surely below his yearling price tag, the Swedish-born horse was sold to a group of Danish owners. They sent him to Erik Bondo, a Dane based in Italy who has enjoyed massive success on the continent for many years. Bondo has only started Kennedy in France, where 12 starts have yielded seven wins and two second places.
The seven-year-old has put in some very good performances in France and posted five wins in a row from March to June. He finished eighth in the Aby Stora Pris in August and was “only” fifth in his last start at Vincennes in late September. As a result, there are some question marks over his form. The obvious objection to Kennedy, however, is that he’s completely unproven at this level.
Kennedy usually doesn’t leave too fast, but is often used in the middle section. He can stay on Tycoon Conway Hall’s back in the early stages and he might end up too far back to have a good shot at a top three finish. However, he’s not a bad horse. It’s hard to see how he can win this, but from post nine, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he picked up a cheque.
Zacon Gio (Post 10)
He went from a very good four-year-old in Italy to an overnight international star when he won the MGM Yonkers International Trot in 2019. After his big Yonkers win, the son of Ruty Grif has tried his luck in France several times. The paternal grandson of Varenne isn’t, however, suited to the longer distances or the unique racetrack at Vincennes, something a single third-place in seven starts indicate. However, he’s really at home at a half-mile track like Yonkers.
Fortunately, the form seems really good. Fourth and second-place finishes in the two heats of the Campionato Europeo was followed by an elimination win in the Lotteria. In the final, he finished a very credible third and underscored his great form.
Post 10 was probably the worst he could draw. With this starting position, he’s completely at the mercy of his opponents. He’s very likely to sit far back at the quarter pole. Zacon Gio is a great front-runner but also possesses a lethal finish, something he demonstrated in the 2019 edition. However, he’s not a horse to sit parked outside or going three-wide for a very long distance.
For a look at the complete field, click here.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)