Funatthebeach N, sent off at 15-1, sat off a serious battle for the lead, got into contention by following favoured Leonidas A, and out-kicked that rival when the chips were down to take a wild $549,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final on Monday night at Yonkers Raceway in 1:50.1.
Tattoo Artist (Dexter Dunn), Jacks Legend N (Matt Kakaley), and defending series champion This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras) all left hard from posts one, three, and five, respectively, with Jacks Legend N getting past Tattoo Artist before the :26.3 opening quarter. This Is The Plan was up to immediately confront Jacks Legend N, and although Kakaley took a big hold of Jacks Legend N, This Is The Plan was unable to clear, and Kakaley elected to leave him out starting on the second turn.
While that was going on up front, Leonidas A (Austin Siegelman) had been able to land in fifth ahead of Funatthebeach N, and they would both vacate the pylons as Jacks Legend N and This Is The Plan continued their slugfest to a :53.4 half. Leonidas A would then go three-wide on the third turn to take up the chase, while Funatthebeach N remained two-wide on the bend and then followed Leonidas A after they entered the backstretch for the final time.
Leonidas A surged up on the outside to take command before the 1:21.4 three-quarters, then crossed down to the rail heading into the last turn. Funatthebeach N was also able to get into a two-wide position after three-quarters as Jacks Legend N backed away, boxing in Tattoo Artist and taking him out of contention. Also facing traffic woes were Semi Tough (Joe Bongiorno), who was caught two-wide behind the tiring This Is The Plan, Nandolo N (Jason Bartlett), who couldn't keep up with Leonidas A and Funatthebeach N after following their cover, and Pat Stanley N (Todd McCarthy), who also was stuck on the inside after trailing.
With all their rivals either spent or caught in compromising spots, Leonidas A and Funatthebeach N would face off in a match race on the far turn and into the lane. Although Leonidas A had the lead on the bend, it was clear that Funatthebeach N was going the better of the two coming into the stretch, and it would be Funatthebeach N going on to score by a length over Leonidas A. Semi Tough finally shook loose and was able to rally for third, followed by Tattoo Artist, Nandolo N, Pat Stanley N, Jacks Legend N, and This Is The Plan.
"That's really his bread-and-butter, that kind of trip right there," said Stratton, who stuck with Funatthebeach N over his brother Cory's horse Pat Stanley N before the last preliminary round after he showed the ability to rally past Nandolo N to win in the third leg. "In the Open prior to this series, we were trying to make him do a little more work than he's accustomed to, coming from the outside and being first-over, but that's just not his game. When he gets towed in second-over and fans wide off the last turn, he puts in a really good effort.
"There were no slouches in the race at all, but I was definitely happy to see the half in 53. Even halfway down the stretch, I didn't know if I was going to stay by Leonidas A once I got by him. He's such a tough horse. Year-in and year-out he shows up. I feel bad that he didn't earn the win, but I'm happy I got it."
For his part in the pace duel, Kakaley offered, "I wasn't going to choke my horse going for $549,000."
Jeff Gillis and Mark Ford are the winning trainer-owner combination behind Funatthebeach N, an eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding who they claimed for $75,000 on September 6 of last year at Yonkers. This was Funatthebeach N's 29th lifetime tally, and he now shows a bankroll of $732,039. He paid $33.20 to win.
Drama Act was the leading point-earner in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series preliminary rounds, and she backed that up by winning the $381,000 final on Monday night at Yonkers Raceway in a close finish with Racine Bell. The time of the mile was 1:51.2.
Driver George Brennan fired Drama Act out from the pole position and led early, but Jason Bartlett wanted the front with favoured Racine Bell, and he moved her from the pocket to the point prior to the :27.2 opening quarter. Racine Bell then backed down the half to just :56, with Easy To Please (Jordan Stratton) beginning a first-over move out of third past that marker. The tempo increased noticeably after Easy To Please tipped out, and while she was unable to get alongside Racine Bell, the three-quarters would go on the board in 1:23.4.
Racine Bell still had command around the last turn and into the lane after Easy To Please's bid stalled out, but Bartlett had to keep working on his charge throughout that period, and then she drifted out in the stretch, allowing Drama Act to come through without ever having to leave the pylons. Racine Bell did dig in and looked like she might be able to hold on, but Drama Act surged in time and got up to defeat the pacesetter by a nose. Easy To Please was third, followed by Best Head West (Matt Kakaley) and Miss You N (Dexter Dunn).
"I figured Jason would want to cut it, which was fine. I just wanted to sit close. I saw Jason asking his mare in the last turn, and then she drifted out in the lane," said Brennan. "Naturally, I'm looking to get out. I always want to go right if I can, but when she drifted out, there was plenty of room for me to get up inside. We took advantage of it.
"It was tight, but I thought I won. It was a great race."
A five-year-old daughter of Well Said, Drama Act is trained by Ron Burke for owner-breeder The OK Corral. This was her 26th victory from 46 career starts, and she has now earned $693,112. She was the 3-1 second choice and paid $8.10 to win.
Im Sir Blake A (Marcus Miller) went three-wide from second-over on the last turn and was able to get by Chase H Hanover (Kakaley) and Dean B Hanover (Stratton) late in the mile to win the $100,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series consolation by a nose in 1:51.2.
Marcus Miller's father Erv trains Im Sir Blake A, a seven-year-old gelded son of Alta Christiano N, for owner Douglas Overhiser. Im Sir Blake A is a 20-time winner, and he has now earned $262,257. A 5-1 offering, Im Sir Blake A returned $12.20 to win.
In a $50,000 race for MGM Borgata Pacing Series eligibles, first-over attacker Diamondbeach (George Brennan) scored by a nose over pocket-sitter Ostro Hanover (Bongiorno) in 1:51.4. Captain Barbossa (Bartlett) tracked the winner from second-over and came in third.
Trainer Ricky Bucci also owns Diamondbeach, a five-year-old gelding by Somebeachsomewhere. He made his 11th appearance in the winner's circle and has now put away $238,786. A 4-1 shot, Diamondbeach paid $10.60 to win.
In a $75,000 consolation race, Gias Surreal (Bartlett) dug in gamely on the lead through the stretch and held on to tally in 1:53 flat. Lit De Rose (Pat Lachance) was parked out and first-over the whole way from post seven but turned in an excellent effort to finish second, and Man Dontforget Me (Dexter Dunn) was third from the pocket.
Ed Hart trains Gias Surreal, a six-year-old mare by So Surreal, for owners James Graham, Edward Peron, and Lee Winters. She has put together a record of 28-14-12 from 88 lifetime appearances, and she boosted her bankroll to $578,125. Gias Surreal returned $4.10 to win.
The handle on tonight's 12-race program was $1,175,667.15, making this another "Million Dollar Monday" at Yonkers.
Tomorrow night's (April 26) card at Yonkers will have a $2,231.57 carryover in the Pick 6, which starts in race three. Stakes action resumes at Yonkers on Wednesday (April 27) with the $76,000 final of the John Brennan Trotting Series. There is also a $35,000 consolation.
As a reminder, Yonkers will race on Saturday (April 30) this week, and then starting next week, live racing will switch to a Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday schedule. Post time will remain at 6:55 p.m.
(Yonkers)