Always Bstunning N was put into action in the early stages and handed Louies Girl N, who had previously been unbeaten in North America, her first defeat in capturing the first of four $69,444 divisions in the second leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday, April 3.
Driven by Tim Tetrick, Always Bstunning N paced the mile in 1:52.1, flying home in 27 seconds flat.
Rocket Deo, Always Bstunning N and Louies Girl N all left the gate hard at the outset, with Rocket Deo crossing to the front into the opening bend for Dexter Dunn. Tetrick had Always Bstunning N away in good order and kept 1-10 favourite Louies Girl N parked three-wide initially before Jason Bartlett elected to reserve the heavy choice midway on the first bend. Meanwhile, Always Bstunning N assumed command at the quarter in :27.4 and Tetrick backed the pace down nicely, hitting the half in just :57.1.
Bartlett put Louies Girl N in motion on the third turn at the behest of the Scott Zeron-driven Square Deal, who flushed her cover, and the pair set in motion on the backstretch. Tetrick was aware of the favourite's action and picked up the pace, hitting three-quarters in 1:25.1 and setting sail in the final turn. Rocket Deo struggled to keep with the leader, and Louies Girl N, for the first time in North America, had no answer to get close to the eventual winner.
Always Bstunning N, a 12-time winner in 2025 racing exclusively at Plainridge Park, won for the first time in 2026, following up a solid third-place finish in her Yonkers debut a week earlier in the McIntyre Series for trainer Gretchen Athearn and owner Richard Poillucci of South Easton, Massachusetts. She now has 19 career wins in 62 starts.
As the 9-2 second choice, the seven-year-old Always B Miki-Simply Stunning mare returned $11.54 to win and keyed a $18.86 exacta with the favourite. The trifecta with Rocket Deo was worth $51.40.
Millwood Bliss N made a break before the start in the opening round, but the six-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou-Millwood Ivy erupted in the second leg with a forceful first-over assault for driver Dexter Dunn and rolled on to a dramatic upset at 52-1 odds in the second McIntyre division, completing the mile in 1:53.
Top picks Seaside Diva (even-money) and Walkin On Sunshine (3-5) duelled in the early stages, with Yannick Gingras and Seaside Diva seating the favourite with driver Scott Zeron off the opening bend before cutting the opening fraction in :28.2. Seaside Diva, a first leg winner, then hit the half in :57.3 and appeared to have the race in her control.
Dunn pulled the Nifty Norman-trained Millwood Bliss N on the third turn and the mare responded quickly to be the heat on the leaders, gaining equal terms with Seaside Diva passing three-quarters in 1:26 flat. Silk Cloud A and Lauren Tritton had rallied up second-over on the final turn, but Millwood Bliss N was determined and drove past the leader, kicking home in 27 seconds flat to earn the half-length victory. Silk Cloud A had to settle for second, with Walkin On Sunshine finding some room between horses in the stretch for third. Seaside Diva faded to fourth.
Millwood Bliss N, who also won her season's debut prior to the opening leg of the series, 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. She now has 14 wins from 43 races lifetime.
Millwood Bliss N paid a whopping $106.60 to win and keyed impressive exotics, with the exacta worth $497.90 and the trifecta $2,400.06.
A favourite finally got on the board in the third McIntyre division as Coastal Babe N and driver Yannick Gingras made it two straight in the series, utilizing the pole position for the second straight week to create another virtual wire-to-wire performance. Coastal Babe N scored decisively in 1:52.3.
Fearless Ginger and Scott Zeron blasted to the front on the first turn while Lydeo and Colin Kelly ducked in behind Coastal Babe N in the early stages. Second choice and last year's series champion Aardie B Miki N tried to leave from post seven but Jason Bartlett had to find a four-hole tuck on the opening bend to keep from being parked.
Coastal Babe N and Gingras regained the lead on the backstretch and proceeded to cut fractions of :27.3 and :56.4 for the first half-mile before shifting into high gear on the third turn. Dexter Dunn, driving My Sweet Lily, tried to flush Aardie B Miki N's cover on the third turn, but Bartlett only pulled briefly with Aardie B Miki N before moving back to the pylons off the third turn. While that was going on behind her, Coastal Babe N paced three-quarters in 1:24.4 and sprinted home in :27.4 for the victory for trainer Jared Bako. Fearless Ginger held second, with Lydeo winning a photo with Aardie B Miki N for third.
The six-year-old mare by Downbytheseaside out of Jessies Girl is now four-for-five racing this year in North America and 13-for-25 lifetime. Her connections include Kap Singh Racing Stable of Yorktown Heights, New York, Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont., Earl Hill Jr. of Ohsweken, Ont., and Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I.
Coastal Babe N, as the heavy chalk, returned $2.68 to win and keyed a $22.74 exacta and a $151.88 trifecta.
Tarapasta and Matt Kakaley turned in the fastest of the four divisions, scoring a wire-to-wire victory in the final stanza. Tarapasta paced to a 1:52 mile, sprinting a final :27.3 quarter in the process while winning for the first time in eight starts in 2026.
Tarapasta unseated favourite Huntress and Jason Bartlett for the top spot off the first turn and rolled on to the opening quarter in :27.2. With little challenges, the six-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside and Pasta Blue Chip set fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.2 for the middle-half, with Bath Bomb and Andrew McCarthy taking up the challenge without cover on the backstretch. Tarapasta drew clear for Kakaley in the homestretch and Bath Bomb bravely defeated Huntress, who was making her first start in the series, for the second spot.
Owned by Greg Luther Racing of Blacklick, Ohio, Tarapasta, a career winner of 20 races in 94 starts, is trained by Travis Alexander for the series.
Tarapasta, who had a troubled trip in the opening leg but recovered to finish second off a first-over trip, returned $10.16 to win in round two as the third choice in the field. She keyed a $26.28 exacta and a $125.16 triple.
The MGM Ursula McIntyre Series prelims continue through Friday, April 24 before a $200,000 USD (added) final and a $100,000 USD (guaranteed) consolation on Friday, May 8.
Stakes action continues at Yonkers on Monday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 8 with the second legs of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series and the John Brennan Trotting Series, respectively. In the Borgata, two of the opening round victors -- Donegal Luther N and Chase H Hanover -- meet up in the last of four $50,000 USD sections (race seven). Meanwhile, the John Brennan Trotting Series was divided up into a pair of $30,000 USD splits.
Monday's program has a $10,332.20 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in the Pick 5 sequence after no winning tickets were held Friday night. The guarantee in the Pick 5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program. Free past performances for the Pick 5, courtesy of TrackMaster, will be available at handicapping.ustrotting.com. The Pick 5, which begins in race five and has a $1 minimum, has a takeout rate of 20 per cent.
Yonkers is operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway; photo of Always Bstunning winning on April 3)