Desperate Man will look to stay undefeated in this year's MGM Borgata Pacing Series as he races in the first of a trio of $50,000 USD splits of the fourth leg on Monday night (April 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Five foes will line up against Desperate Man, who drew post five in the event (race three on the 12-race program). Dunkin (post one) has two straight victories in the series himself and Covered Bridge (post four) took a division back in the first round.
In the second section (race four), someone will get their initial triumph in the 2024 edition of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series. Former series champions Funatthebeach N (post three) and This Is The Plan (post four) are in this tilt, as are former MGM Grand Messenger Stakes victor Pleaseletmeknow (post one) and multi-time Borgata finalist Leonidas A (post two).
Race 10 in the last of Monday's flights and Rocknroll Runa A (post one) looms as the one to beat as he has a pair of victories and a third in the prelims to date. Last year's MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion Hellabalou (post four) turned in a much-improved effort in leg three and may be rounding into form at the right time.
A full look at the fields is as follows:
Division 1 (Race 3)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Dunkin - Tim Tetrick - Scott Di Domenico
2. Idealsomemagic A - George Brennan - Cory Stratton
3 Torrid Saint A - Matthew Athearn - Jimmy Nickerson
4. Covered Bridge - Jordan Stratton - Jeff Gillis
5. Desperate Man - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
6. Sumomentsomwhere A - Yannick Gingras - Mickey Burke Jr.
Division 2 (Race 4)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Pleaseletmeknow - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
2. Leonidas A - Austin Siegelman - Matthew Medeiros
3. Funatthebeach N - Jordan Stratton - Jeff Gillis
4. This Is The Plan - Yannick Gingras - Mickey Burke Jr.
5. Hemsworth N - Joe Bongiorno - Jared Bako
6. Strengthfromabove - Joe Bongiorno - Besim Odza
Division 3 (Race 10)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Rocknroll Runa A - Mark MacDonald - Larry Stalbaum
2. Backstreet Shadow-Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
3. Coaches Corner - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
4. Hellabalou - Yannick Gingras - Mickey Burke Jr.
5. Venturesome Arden N - George Brennan - Ricky Bucci
6. Fourever Boy - Mark MacDonald - Linda Toscano
Preliminary round action in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series continues through Monday, April 15, with the $200,000 USD added final slated to take place on Monday, April 22. This year's MGM Borgata Pacing Series final will also have a "win and you're in" feature for the $125,000 USD Birthday Invitational Pace in May to celebrate 125 years of MGM Yonkers Raceway, the Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield on June 8 and the Aria Invitational at Yonkers scheduled for Sept. 7.
The John Brennan Trotting Series will be added to the current mix of ongoing stakes races at Yonkers on Wednesday, April 3 with four $25,000 USD tilts to get that event underway. The John Brennan Trotting Series, which has three prelims prior to the $55,000 USD added final on April 24, is named in honour of the longtime SOA of NY horsemen's representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020. The series is for three-year-olds and older who were non-winners of six pari-mutuel races or $200,000 USD through Feb. 1, 2024, with winners over $250,000 USD as of that date not eligible.
The Friday, April 5 program at Yonkers will be headlined by two $40,000 USD splits of the fourth leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares. Mikala (post two), Dougs Babe A (post three) and Incaseyoudidntknow (post five) all look for their second prelim win in the first division (race four), while Lit De Rose (post one) goes for her third in the other section (race nine). She'll take on the likes of Delitfulcatherin N (post six), one of last Friday's victors. The opening rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through Friday, April 12, with the $125,000 USD added final on Monday, April 22.
Live harness racing takes place at Yonkers on a Monday through Friday schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT).
(Yonkers Raceway)