Harness racing's Triple Crown events will commence for 2024 on Friday night, June 21 at MGM Yonkers Raceway with two $25,000 USD eliminations for the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes for sophomore male pacers and a single $25,000 USD elimination for the MGM Yonkers Trot for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters.
Howlenthehills, a New York-sired gelding by American Ideal who is five-for-five this year, leads the first MGM Grand Messenger Stakes elimination (race six) and competes for a driver/trainer combination in Matt Kakaley and Travis Alexander, who captured the event in 2021 with American Courage and in 2022 with Pleaseletmeknow. Escape To America is riding a three-race win streak in the New York Excelsior "A" Series and Ameritric won a New York Sire Stakes leg at Buffalo Raceway earlier this month.
The second Messenger Stakes elimination is race seven, and supplemental entrant Janelle Granny ships south after racing in the North America Cup final on Saturday night, June 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Kakaley/Alexander combo is represented in this elimination as well with Sweet Beach Life, a Sweet Lou gelding with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes tally at Pocono Downs on May 18.
The full fields for the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes eliminations are as follows:
MGM Grand Messenger Stakes Elimination 1 - Race 6
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Bonaparte - Andrew McCarthy - Richard Johnson
2. Howlenthehills - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
3. Escape To America - Jason Bartlett - Deborah Daguet
4. Armada Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Brett Pelling
5. Lous World - Todd McCarthy - Garry Merner Jr.
6. Ameritric - Scott Zeron - George Ducharme
7. Captain Skippy - Dexter Dunn - Ake Svanstedt
MGM Grand Messenger Stakes Elimination 2 - Race 7
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Sweet Beach Life - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
2. Mr Three O Five - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter
3. Bet On Mac - Tyler Buter - Sam De Pinto
4. Wish You Well - David Miller - Nifty Norman
5. Huntingforchrome - Tyler Buter - Jennifer Bongiorno
6. Tenacious Hanover - Scott Zeron - Linda Toscano
7. Janell Granny - Tim Tetrick - Scott Di Domenico
A field of eight will contest the MGM Yonkers Trot elimination in race four, and the top five finishers will join bye-takers Security Protected, Situationship and Sir Pinocchio in the final.
Im Out is the only horse with a win this year in the field as he is three-for-six, including a victory in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series at The Meadows on May 31. Flying Kronos S, one of two in the group for three-time Yonkers Trot-winning trainer Ake Svanstedt, was the runner-up to Karl in the 2023 Kindergarten Series final, Fly By (post five) is coming off a pair of seconds in New York Sire Stakes action and Bargain (post four) was the runner-up in the New York Sire Stakes final last year.
Listed below is the Yonkers Trot elimination field in full:
MGM Yonkers Trot Elimination - Race 4
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Im Out - Tim Tetrick - Scott Di Domenico
2. Flying Kronos S - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
3. It Wasnt Me - Dexter Dunn - Tony Alagna
4. Bargain - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter
5. Fly By - Jason Bartlett - Tony Alagna
6. Duke Of Walner - Tim Tetrick - Lucas Wallin
7. Mr Grant - Jim Marohn Jr. - D R Ackerman
8. Southwind Metrick - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
The finals of the Messenger and Yonkers Trot will take place on Friday, June 28 and will be joined by their companion filly events, the Park MGM for pacers and the New York New York Mile for trotters.
Fans attending the races live on June 28 will be treated to an outdoor market on the track apron. An integration of the casino and track worlds will take place as patrons from both sides of the gambling world will be welcomed to enjoy special food stands, live music and other promotional items as part of a Triple Crown Fan Fest.
Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-
(Yonkers Raceway)