Coaches Corner, the runner-up in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final earlier this year, led the way with a 1:51 mile in the first leg of the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series on Monday, Nov. 4 at MGM Yonkers Raceway. El Rey and Nandolo N won the other $69,444 divisions that took place on the program.
Driven by Jason Bartlett and racing in the second split, Coaches Corner (pictured above) led through fractions of :27.2, :56 and 1:23.3 on his way to a 2-3/4-length victory over a first-up Seven Colors (Jordan Stratton). Pocket-sitter Chase H Hanover (Joe Bongiorno) finished in the third position.
A four-year-old gelding by Always A Virgin, Coaches Corner is trained by Per Engblom for owners Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey. Bred by Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables, Coaches Corner is a 26-time winner and has earned $888,826.
He paid $3.40 to win as a 3-5 favourite and keyed a $7 exacta and a $21.80 trifecta.
Back in the opening tilt, El Rey (Bartlett) blasted to the front from post seven and then gave way to sit in the two-hole behind Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley), who had also shown speed from the eight-hole, past the :26.4 quarter. Once he had control, Desperate Man went on to reach the half in :55.4, but then he ended up locked in a side-by-side battle with Whats Stanley Got A (Brent Holland), who tipped first-over from fourth on the third turn, at the 1:24.2 three-quarters.
Desperate Man and Whats Stanley Got A continued their duel around the final bend and into the lane, as El Rey had room to tip out into a three-wide position coming off the turn. It was a calvary charge to the wire, but El Rey was able to get up at the wire, defeating a dead-game Whats Stanley Got A by a nose in 1:51.3. Desperate Man was third, just a neck behind the top two finishers.
Andrew Harris trains El Rey, a four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous bred by Riverview Breeding, and he also co-owns him with William Pollock and Bruce Areman. El Rey, who was coming off a third-place result in the Breeders Crown Open Pace, made his 11th appearance in the winner's circle and has pocketed $887,140.
El Rey returned $7.80 to win as the 5-2 second choice. He was atop a $59 exacta and a $343 trifecta.
In the night's final flight, Verdun (Pat Lachance) was going for his seventh straight victory, and he got to the engine around Typhoon Banner N (Bongiorno) prior to the :27.2 quarter. Verdun then backed down the half to 57 seconds and Nandolo N (Stratton) got going first-up from third just after that station, tracked in the outer tier by Adam Twelve (Bartlett).
Verdun and Nandolo N were nose-to-nose at the 1:24.1 three-quarters and remained in a tussle on the last turn as Adam Twelve angled into a three-wide position. Nandolo N was able to finally wear down a stubborn Verdun about halfway through the stretch drive and then he determinedly held off Adam Twelve to the wire, tallying by a nose in 1:52.1. Verdun had to settle for third from Typhoon Banner N.
Sent out by trainer Shane Tritton, Nandolo N is a 10-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding bred in New Zealand by C L Smith and P F Smith. The Stephen Klunowski-owned Nandolo N has 38 wins and has banked $979,043.
He paid $65 to win as a 31-1 offering and led a $264 exacta and a $1,094 trifecta.
Leg two of the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series is scheduled for Nov. 11, and then the event takes a break until round three 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.
As a result of Nandolo N's upset victory, the Pick 5 on the card was not hit, leading to a $10,390.12 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in that sequence on Tuesday night, Nov. 5.
On Friday night, Nov. 8, Yonkers will host the final preliminary leg of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series with two $75,000 USD sections (races four and six) drawn. Its Academic, who drew post one for David Miller and Ron Burke, will try to improve to three-for-three in the event in the first of those races, while Chapercraz and Take All Comers, who have one victory apiece in the series thus far, depart from posts two and five, respectively, in the other dash. Chapercraz has Yannick Gingras listed to drive for Burke, while Jordan Stratton is on Take All Comers for Jim Campbell.
The $250,000 USD MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series final is set for Nov. 15. Both Friday night’s third round and the final will be conducted at the distance of a mile and a sixteenth.
Yonkers is operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)