Take All Comers captured the inaugural MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series, winning the $347,222 final contested at an extended distance of 1-1/16 miles by a head over Its Academic on Friday night, Nov. 15 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Driven by Jordan Stratton and sent off as the 8-5 favourite, Take All Comers left out quickly from post five, but Its Academic (David Miller) also showed speed from post six. Its Academic worked his way around Take All Comers for the top spot past the :26.4 quarter. Behind them, Ari Ferrari J (Jason Bartlett) landed third and Chapercraz (Yannick Gingras) found a seat on the cones in front of Delayed Hanover (Dexter Dunn).
Heading to the half, which Miller and Its Academic backed down to just 57 seconds, Ari Ferrari J was sent first-over with Chapercraz and Delayed Hanover getting cover. However, Ari Ferrari J made a break entering the third turn, leaving Chapercraz first-over against fellow Ron Burke trainee Its Academic. Chapercraz made some gains on the rim as they trotted to the 1:25.3 three-quarters, but he stalled out on the final bend.
After Chapercraz began to fade late on the far turn, that left Its Academic and Take All Comers to decide it. Its Academic came off the pylons in the stretch and that gave Stratton the room he was looking for, but Take All Comers still had to have the trot to go with it to chase down last year's Dan Patch Award winner for older trotting males. It came right down to the final stride, but Take All Comers was able to get up and defeat Its Academic by a head in 2:01.4, with Delayed Hanover third. Chapercraz and Pappardelle (George Brennan) rounded out the top five.
"He leaves just as fast as a pacer, especially with the mile and a sixteenth and the extra distance to the first turn. That was the winning spot. I just needed some racing room," remarked Stratton post-race. "There was a lot of yellow [Burke horses] around me. I didn't know if I'd find room or not, but the horse dug in through the lane and he beat a really good horse at the wire. I didn't know if I was going to get there, but he really put his head down and dug right down by the wire.
"Being the home track, it's a good feeling [to win]," he added.
Trained by Jim Campbell, Take All Comers was bred by owner Runthetable Stables (with Chelsea Batelli). The six-year-old Creatine-Nantab gelding was a runner-up in the opening leg of the series to Its Academic before winning his second leg division and dead-heating for the win with Delayed Hanover an added-distance third leg split that sent his lifetime earnings over the million-dollar mark. Take All Comers made his 20th appearance in the winner's circle on Friday night and boosted his bankroll to $1,198,511.
He returned $5.50 to win and led a $19 exacta and a $98.50 trifecta.
With two preliminary rounds complete, the companion MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series is on a break until the third leg on Dec. 9. The $250,000 USD final is on Dec. 16. Leg three and the final will be at the distance of a mile and a sixteenth.
Yonkers Raceway is operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)