Captain Albano stands alone as the only horse in this year's MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway with a two-for-two record after he won Monday night's (Dec. 1) last of four $69,444 divisions in 1:51.4 for Todd McCarthy and Noel Daley. Mossdale Ben N, Redwood Hanover and Huntinthelastdolar took the other splits.
Driven by Todd McCarthy, Captain Albano got away second behind fellow first-round victor Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett), but McCarthy brought Captain Albano to the outside before the 27.2 quarter and wrestled the top spot away from Coaches Corner beyond that point. Captain Albano would then get to the half in 56.2 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3 as Bartlett pulled Coaches Corner for a final quarter attack.
The sprint was on to the wire, and Captain Albano responded to McCarthy's urging and the challenge of Coaches Corner, repelling him by half a length. American Dealer N (Daniel Dube) checked in third, followed by Tip Top Cat (Yannick Gingras) and Whats Stanley Got A (Jordan Stratton).
Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous bred by Fred Hertrich III, for owners Patricia Stable of Massapequa, NY, L A Express And Sjoblom Inc of Chesterfield, NJ, Sjoblom Racing Inc of Delray Beach and Michael Dolan of Sarasota, FL. A Dan Patch Award winner in 2023 and 2024, Captain Albano now has 25 victories from 43 starts, has earned $2,698,534. He paid $4.38 to win as the even-money second choice, keying a $5.08 exacta and a $21.28 trifecta.
While Bartlett and trainer Per Engblom came up short with Coaches Corner, they did tally with both Redwood Hanover and Huntinthelastdolar. Redwood Hanover was up first as he got the lead in a 26.3 quarter, kept control through middle-half panels of 55.2 and 1:23.1 and came home in 27.4 to defeat leg one winner and pocket-sitter Soho Firestone A (George Brennan) by a length in 1:51. Sherlock N (Jim Marohn Jr.), Spring Inhis Step A (McCarthy) and Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley) rounded out the top five.
A five-year-old Stay Hungry stallion bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Redwood Hanover is owned by Evans Nation of Seaford, NY, with Engblom Stable LLC of Wrightstown, NJ, and Hickory Hollow Stables of Spencerville, IN. He has a summary of 15-6-13 from 64 appearances, has pocketed $604,685. Redwood Hanover returned $10.82 to win as the 4-1 third choice and was atop a $24.56 exacta and a $642.60 trifecta.
Huntinthelastdolar, who was second to Captain Albano last Monday, captured his section in 1:52.4. He swung out from the two-hole to hit the front from Always A Thrill (Colin Kelly) after the 27.4 quarter and then backed down the half to 57.1 and the three-quarters in 1:25.1. Always A Thrill came off the pylons on the far turn to go after Huntinthelastdolar, but he came up three-quarters of a length short at the finish line. Blazing Home N (Stratton), Soho Down Jones A (Brennan) and Catalpa Rescue A (McCarthy) were third through fifth.
Engblom sent out Huntinthelastdolar, a five-year-old gelded son of Huntsville, for owners E Five Racing of Boca Raton, FL, and John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont. The Crawford Farms-bred Huntinthelastdolar is a 22-time winner from 69 trips behind the gate, has banked $1,358,536. He paid $2.14 to win as the 1-9 favourite and led a $6.52 exacta and a $19.44 trifecta.
Mossdale Ben N (Stratton), who was winless in nine tries since taking the final of MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers back in May, bagged his flight in 1:51.4. Endofstory (Bartlett) parked out The Greek Freak (Kakaley) to the 26.2 quarter and the 54.3 half, and when The Greek Freak began to tire on the third turn, Mossdale Ben N and Hemsworth N (Austin Siegelman) moved off his cover to take up the first-over and second-over position as Endofstory rolled through three-quarters in 1:22.3.
Endofstory remained in charge around the final bend and into the lane, but Mossdale Ben N sustained his brush to go by Endofstory and then kept a late-gaining Hemsworth N at bay by three-quarters of a length. Endofstory had to settle for third, followed by Jamaican Rock A (McCarthy) and Racing Rebel (Gingras).
Trained by Peter Tritton, the seven-year-old Mossdale Ben N is owned by PJT Investments LLC. of Madison, CT. A gelding by A Rocknroll Dance, Mossdale Ben N has 17 wins, 12 seconds and six thirds from 62 outings, has put away $776,497. The favourite returned $3.56 to win and lead an exacta worth $31.70 and the trifecta kicked back $581.42.
The MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series prelims conclude on Monday, Dec. 8. Points for the series are earned on a 50-25-12-8-5 scale (winner gets 50 points, runner-up gets 25, etc.). The top 10 point earners get a spot in the $250,000 USD, 1-1/4 mile final on Friday, Dec. 19, while the next 10 point earners go in the $75,000 USD, 1-1/4 mile consolation on the same card. A horse must race in all three legs to be eligible for the final and the consolation for both the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series and the companion MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series.
Speaking of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series, that event resumes on Friday night (Dec. 5) with three $50,000 USD sections of the second round. None of the leg one winners drew into the same race as Ari Ferrari J has post seven for Jason Bartlett and Tony Alagna in race three, Take All Comers has post seven for Todd McCarthy and Jim Campbell in race four and Sir Pinocchio landed post three for Bartlett and trainer Ed Hart in race nine.
Through the end of the meet on December 19, MGM Yonkers Raceway is operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m. (EST).
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)