Silk Cloud A and driver Lauren Tritton found the winner's circle for the first time in this year's MGM Ursula McIntyre Series in fourth-round action at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday night, April 17.
The eight-year-old imported daughter of Shadow Play-Modern Babe stormed past the 6-5 favourite Coastal Babe N (Yannick Gingras) nearing the wire and went on to a 1:51.4 victory in the first of three $69,444 fourth-leg divisions.
Tritton used Silk Cloud A in the early going but was overtaken quickly by Walkin On Sunshine (Scott Zeron) before the opening bend. Coastal Babe N, a two-time winner in the series, was looped on the first turn, but Gingras got the mare in gear and secured the front shortly before the :26.3 first quarter had been passed.
Coastal Babe N controlled the race with fractions of :55.1 and 1:23.3 for the middle-half and tried to out-sprint the field on the final turn, putting distance between her and rivals Walkin On Sunshine and Silk Cloud A briefly. However, Tritton had other ideas, and while Walkin On Sunshine was struggling to get to the pacesetter, Silk Cloud A found high gear on the outside and sailed past under light encouragement, winning by three-quarters of a length. Coastal Babe N held on to second in a photo with Walkin On Sunshine.
Pete Tritton trains Silk Cloud A for owners David Kryway of Amherstburg, Ont., and Double S Stables of Midway, Kentucky. A third- and second-place finisher in the last two rounds of the series, Silk Cloud A scored her first win in 2026 with the fastest mile to date in the series.
As a 5-1 outsider in the field of six, Silk Cloud A returned $13.94 to win and keyed a $52 exacta and a $366.02 trifecta.
Another upset happened in the second division as Millwood Bliss N and Dexter Dunn rolled past odds-on favourite Tarapasta (Matt Kakaley) in the homestretch as a 4-1 proposition for her second victory in the series. Millwood Bliss N, a six-year-old by Sweet Lou out of Millwood Ivy, stopped the clock in 1:53.4.
Dunn utilized the pole position to perfect advantage, forcing Huntress (Jason Bartlett) into the pocket on the first turn and discouraging Bath Bomb (Andrew McCarthy) from moving to the front. Dunn did accommodate Kakaley behind the Tarapasta and yielded the front midway on the backstretch. Tarapasta controlled the pace past the :27.3 opening quarter and got a nice breather, hitting the half in :57.2.
The pace picked up and Tarapasta seemed on the same mission that she had used to capture the previous two legs, holding a clear advantage past three-quarters in 1:25.2 and looking strong into the stretch. Dunn and Millwood Bliss N waited patiently, though, and pulled into the homestretch where she responded to urging to collar the leader and cruise to a half-length victory. Tarapasta was clear for second with Huntress edged out Tick A Loch A(Jordan Stratton) for third.
Millwood Bliss N is owned by Tom Vassiliou of Hawley, Pennsylvania, Cool Cat Racing of Flemington, New Jersey, Nicholas Tallarico of Smithtown, New York and Archie McNeil of Westborough, Massachusetts. The Nifty Norman-trained mare was a winner for the third time in five starts in 2026.
She returned $10.50 to win and led a $15.48 exacta and a $90.56 trifecta.
Chalk players found a winner in the third McIntyre division as Louies Girl N and Jason Bartlett once again made a breathtaking move on the backstretch and lost the field, scoring in a personal-best 1:51.4 mile, her third victory in this series and matching Silk Cloud A's for the fastest winning time.
Coachellabound N (Brent Holland) made a clear indication at the outset, speeding away from pole position and seating both Rocket Deo (Andrew McCarthy) and then Louies Girl N on the first turn. Coachellabound N hit the quarter in :27.3 and half in :56.1 as the field of six stayed in line. The pace picked up on the backstretch and Coachellabound N tried to get separation, but once Bartlett moved the 1-20 favoured Louies Girl N before the three-quarter pole, the race changed in an instant.
The Per Engblom-trained daughter or Lord Forbes-One Bad Dream exploded under asking and quickly opened ground on the field following a three-quarter-mile clocking in 1:24. Seaside Diva (Yannick Gingras) had chased the winner's cover on the backstretch and found herself clear for second in the stretch, with Rocket Deo finding room on the final turn and finishing third.
Louies Girl N flashed a :27.4 kicker to complete the fastest mile in her career for owner Peaceful Acre Farm of Litiitz, Pennsylvania.
The prohibitive favourite, Louies Girl N returned the minimum $2.10 to win and keyed a $6.40 exacta and a $12.34 trifecta.
The final preliminary round of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Series will occur next Friday, April 24 before the $200,000 USD (added) and $100,000 USD (guaranteed) consolation take place on Friday, May 8.
Prior to the fifth leg of the McIntyre Series, there's the fourth round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday, April 20 and the $100,000 USD final and $50,000 USD consolation of the John Brennan Trotting Series on Wednesday, April 22 at Yonkers. The Borgata has a trio of $50,000 USD divisions set to take place.
Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)