Three winners came from a pair of $104,167 divisions of the final preliminary round of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series on Friday, Nov. 8 at MGM Yonkers Raceway as Ari Ferrari J took the first split and then Take All Comers and Delayed Hanover dead-heated for the victory in the second flight. Both of the sections were held at the distance of a mile and sixteenth.
Driven by Jason Bartlett, Ari Ferrari J cut the :27.2 quarter in his race, but favoured Its Academic (Yannick Gingras), who was trying to improve to three-for-three in the event, was out and on the move from third before that marker and took charge on the second turn. From there, Its Academic kept the top spot through a :56.3 half and three-quarters in 1:26.3, but Ari Ferrari J was right on Gingras's helmet the whole way and Bartlett would send him to the outside on the final bend.
Its Academic clung to a narrow advantage as they passed the mile marker in 1:55.2, but Ari Ferrari J had the momentum and was able to wear down Its Academic to the finish line, defeating him by half a length in 2:02.2. Ghostly Casper (Pat Lachance) wound up third.
The winner of the Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot at Yonkers earlier this year, Ari Ferrari J, a four-year-old son of Walner-Dream Child bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc., is trained by Tony Alagna for owner Ken Jacobs. Ari Ferrari J is an 13-time victor from 44 starts and has earned $1.23 million lifetime.
He paid $7.90 to win as the 5-2 second choice. The exacta was worth $11.40 and the trifecta was worth $27.60.
In the other MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series clash, favourite Take All Comers (Jordan Stratton) led the way through fractions of :26.4, :56.4 and 1:25.1 with Delayed Hanover (Bartlett) in the pocket and Chapercraz (Gingras) positioned third. Gingras fired Chapercraz first-over on the way to three-quarters, which went in 1:25.1, but he was stymied by Take All Comers on the last turn and into the lane.
While Take All Comers was able to fend off Chapercraz, he did come off the pylons in the stretch, and that gave Bartlett room to pounce with Delayed Hanover. Once he had the space, Delayed Hanover had enough time and trot to get up and tie Take All Comers for top honours, with Chapercraz three-quarters of a length back in third. The time of 2:01 flat was just two-fifths of a second off Arch Madness's track record.
Trained by Jim Campbell, Take All Comers was bred by owner Runthetable Stables with Chelsea Batelli. The victorious six-year-old Creatine-Nantab gelding made his 19th appearance in the winner's circle and went over the million-dollar mark in career earnings in his 65th start.
Take All Comers returned $2.50 to win as the favourite and led a $13.40 exacta and a $34 trifecta.
A six-year-old Southwind Frank-Dont Wait Up stallion, Delayed Hanover, who was sent off at 16-1, is trained by John McDermott for owner Reid Wissner. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, he earned his 20th career win from 83 outings and watched his bankroll climb over $800,000.
Delayed Hanover paid $10 to win and keyed a $35.40 exacta and a $93 trifecta.
Next Friday, Nov. 15, Yonkers will feature the $250,000 USD MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series final. As was the case this week, the final will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth.
On Monday, Nov. 11, the second leg of the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series will take place with three $50,000 USD dashes carded. The three first round winners -- Coaches Corner (post two, driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Per Engblom), Nandolo N (post three, Jordan Stratton, Shane Tritton) and El Rey (post five, David Miller, Andrew Harris) -- all landed in the third division (race nine). After Monday, the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series takes a break until round three on Dec. 9. The $250,000 USD final is on Dec. 16, and leg three and the final will be 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; Photo of Ari Ferrari J from a previous win)