A total of 38 horses were dropped into the entry box for the opening round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday, March 31 at MGM Yonkers Raceway, meaning there will be five $50,000 USD divisions on the 12-race program.
Back-to-back Borgata Series champion Hellabalou will start his quest for a three-peat from post seven for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke in the first division (race five). His competition includes Chase H Hanover (post three), who has been racing well in the top class over at Pocono Downs for trainer Cory Stratton, and double millionaire Charlie May (post four), who invades from Pocono off a 1:49.1 win in his last outing for trainer Heidi Cushing.
The second section goes in race six and Coaches Corner (post seven) is the headliner. The Per Engblom trainee was second in the Borgata Series final and also the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series final in 2024 at Yonkers, and he will make his second appearance of 2025 in Monday's tilt. He'll face the likes of Dunkin (post two), who won two legs and was fifth in the Borgata Series final a year ago for trainer Scott DiDomenico, and the razor-sharp Stratton student For Once Inmy Life (post three).
Venturesome Arden N from the Ricky Bucci stable is among the horses entered in the third flight (race seven). Venturesome Arden N took a leg of the Borgata Series last year and then came back to capture the consolation as well. Another horse to watch is Humble A (post eight), conditioned by Scott Blackler, as he went eight-for-eight in the U.S. last fall and enters off a victorious qualifier at Pocono.
Former Canadian Horse of the Year Desperate Man (pictured above), who went four-for-four in last year's Borgata Series prelims but then got caught up in a duel and had to settle for third in the final, will start his seven-year-old campaign in the fourth showdown (race eight) from post three with Matt Kakakley in the bike for trainer Travis Alexander. Owned by Kathy Cecchin of Arthur, Ont., the Shadow Play-Dreamlands Latte gelding gets to face off against horses such as the four-for-four in 2025 Mossdale Ben N (post six) from the Peter Tritton stable and stakes winner Combustion (post seven) for trainer Doug Dilloian Jr.
Veteran campaigner Rocknroll Runa A (post six) is back in the Borgata in Monday's final tilt (race nine). Trained by Larry Stalbaum, Rocknroll Runa A captured two legs and was sixth in the final a year ago. He'll take on 2024 MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series champion Typhoon Banner N (post one), who is trained and driven by Joe Bongiorno, and stakes winner Admiral Hill (post four), another Engblom series contender.
The full MGM Borgata Pacing Series fields, with listed drivers, follows.
MGM Borgata Pacing Series - Division #1 (Race 5)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Huntinthelastdolar - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
2. Sherlock N - George Brennan - Peter Tritton
3. Chase H Hanover - Anthony Napolitano - Cory Stratton
4. Charlie May - David Miller - Heidi Cushing
5. Janelle Granny - Tim Tetrick - Scott DiDomenico
6. Verdun - Pat Lachance - Pat Lachance
7. Hellabalou - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Carabao A - Anthony Napolitano - Lance Hudson
MGM Borgata Pacing Series - Division #2 (Race 6)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Finvarra A - Brent Holland - Doug Dilloian Jr.
2. Dunkin - Tim Tetrick - Scott DiDomenico)
3. Pleaseletmeknow - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
4. For Once Inmy Life - Jordan Stratton - Cory Stratton
5. Hemsworth N - Scott Zeron - Jared Bako
6. Lyons Steel - Brent Holland - Jose Ramos
7. Coaches Corner - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
MGM Borgata Pacing Series - Division #3 (Race 7)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Act Fast - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. Wish You Well - David Miller - Nifty Norman
3. Aardies Flash N - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
4. Himself N - Anthony Napolitano - Lance Hudson
5. Camara Moment - Scott Zeron - Michael Fiumenero
6. Churchviewfrankl IR - Brent Holland - Paul Stafford
7. Venturesome Arden N - Jason Bartlett - Ricky Bucci
8. Humble A - Jason Bartlett - Scott Blackler
MGM Borgata Pacing Series - Division #4 (Race 8)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. My Ultimate Byron A - Yannick Gingras - Ricky Bucci
2. Ammo - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
3. Desperate Man - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
4. Its A Me Mario - Jason Bartlett - Shane Tritton
5. Blazing Home N - Matthew Athearn - Larry Stalbaum
6. Mossdale Ben - Jordan Stratton - Peter Tritton
7. Combustion - Jason Bartlett - Doug Dilloian Jr.
MGM Borgata Pacing Series - Division #5 (Race 9)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Typhoon Banner N - Joe Bongiorno - Joe Bongiorno
2. Hungry Angel Boy - Jason Bartlett - Nick Devita
3. Birthday - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
4. Admiral Hill - Yannick Gingras - Per Engblom
5. Why Not Now - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
6. Rocknroll Runa A - Matthew Athearn - Larry Stalbaum
7. Binge On Yankee - Scott Zeron - Jeff Gillis
8. Miki Shan N - Jason Bartlett- Hunter Oakes
The MGM Borgata Pacing Series prelims run through Monday, April 28, with the $200,000 USD (added) final and $100,000 USD (guaranteed) consolation on Friday, May 9, when they will be joined by the $200,000 USD (added) final and $100,000 USD (guaranteed) consolation of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Pacing Series. The Matchmaker kicks off on Friday, March 28 with four $50,000 USD divisions.
In addition to those two Grand Circuit events kicking off, and in conjunction with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, purses at Yonkers will increase by 10 per cent starting on March 31.
Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday-Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)
Borgata and Matchmaker finals
Up until this year, with the exception of a few sire stake races, the finals of The Borgata, which was previously called The George M. Levy, and The Matchmaker, a series for mares, were the first harness races in North America every year with purses of $100,000 or more. The finals were always held in mid-to-late April. In 2025, they won't be held until May 9, and that will no longer be the case. There will still be 5 weekly preliminary legs of both series.