After going three-for-three in the prelims, Antognoni S put the cherry on top of his John Brennan Trotting Series domination with a victory in the $183,333 final on Wednesday, April 23 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Driven by co-owner Yannick Gingras, Antognoni S settled into fifth from post seven while fellow Ron Burke trainee Busy Making Moni (Scott Zeron) seized the early lead from post five, setting fractions of :29 and :59.1. Gingras pulled Antognoni S off the pylons before the half and brushed to the front beyond that marker.
Once in control, Antognoni S (pictured above) remained unchallenged, hitting three-quarters in 1:27.4 and cruising to the wire in 1:55.3 for the mile, completing the mile and a quarter distance in 2:24.3. He was in hand at the wire, romping by 5-1/2 lengths over stablemate Busy Making Moni. Scottish (Jordan Stratton) rallied from post eight to finish third.
"He's a very nice horse who we bought especially for this series," said Gingras, who added that the initial hope was that he'd be an Open horse at Yonkers, but the five-year-old has surpassed his expectations. "He follows great and can do it on the front as well."
With his Yonkers dominance now established, Gingras and connections are eyeing a potential invitation to the prestigious Elitlopp next month in Antognoni's native Sweden.
"One race I've always wanted to win, maybe even over the Hambletonian, is the Elitlopp. If we can get an invite, I think he has a shot. I'm not saying he is going to win, but it would be a great thrill, and Ronnie [Burke] and I are very interested. He's the perfect horse for it because he doesn't wear hobbles, isn't on Lasix, and right now he goes with heavy shoes, so we could race barefoot over there," said Gingras, who said he would reach out to Swedish officials to inquire. "It would be a dream come true to win it."
Gingras added he plans to reach out to Swedish officials and joked they might be able to tag along on the flight with Canada’s Elitlopp invitee, Logan Park. If the pink ticket doesn’t come, the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands is next on the agenda.
A gelding by Father Patrick out of Bouncing Bax, Antognoni S is trained by Ron Burke and co-owned by Gingras along with Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Fac Racing LLC. He now has 14 wins from 29 career starts and earnings of $288,261.
The 1-9 favourite returned $2.20 to win, leading a $9.70 exacta and a $120.50 trifecta.
Another Swedish-bred trotter, Golden Rain S, captured the $69,444 consolation in 2:27.2 over the mile and a quarter. Jason Bartlett drove the seven-year-old Bold Eagle–Mystical Sunshine mare to victory for trainer Per Engblom and owners Engblom Stable LLC and Thomas Lind-Holm.
The John Brennan Trotting Series, a fixture on the schedule in April at Yonkers, is named in honour of the longtime Standardbred Owners Association of New York horsemen's representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020.
The last chance to earn points in this year's Blue Chip Matchmaker Series happens in Friday night's (April 25) final leg, and there will be three $50,000 USD divisions. Aardie B Miki, who started the series three-for-three and then took last week off, starts from the pole position in the second section (race five). She faces the likes of two-leg winner Walkin On Sunshine (post six).
Three $50,000 USD splits of the last round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series will then take place on Monday, April 28. The top 15 horses currently in the standings are all set for action as spots for the rich final on May 9 are up for grabs.
Continuing for every Monday and Friday card during the legs of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series and Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, MGM Yonkers Raceway, in conjunction with the SOA of NY, will offer a $20,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool in race five.
The guaranteed Pick 5 pool on Mondays is also a part of the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)