Up Your Deo posted a track record 1:53.1 mile and Kierkegaard K led at every call in taking a pair of $40,000 MGM Yonkers Trot eliminations for three-year-old colts and geldings on Friday night (June 23) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Both Up Your Deo and Kierkegaard K were sent out by trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.
Svanstedt had the 1-9 favoured Up Your Deo on the gate in post four and ready to leave at the start, with Crown to his inside with Brian Sears also on the gate and motivated, and Chapercraz to his outside as that one exploded out for Yannick Gingras as the gates unfolded. Up Your Deo made a miscue but was wrestled back on-stride quickly by Svanstedt although not before ceding control to Chapercraz, who led Crown through the first turn, with Manclane and Tyler Buter settling in third and Up Your Deo fourth in line.
Gingras had Chapercraz on the lead and the son of Crazy Wow showed impressive speed, cutting the opening-half with fractions of :28 and :56.4 while Crown followed at a distance and the rest of the field gapped out to some degree. Svanstedt had to move out on the third turn to get Up You Deo into closer contention, but his job was made more difficult as Chapercraz let out a notch and blitzed the third quarter in :27.3, hitting the three-quarters in 1:24.2 with a 3-1/2-length lead.
On the final turn, Chapercraz's lead began to shorten as Crown rallied between horses and Up You Deo hit his stride after going three-deep. A blanket finish ensued, with Up Your Deo getting up on the wire ahead of the pacesetting Chapercraz, while Crown settled for third. Manclane followed in a distant fourth, but will also return for the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot final.
Owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Suleyman Yuksel Stables, Deo Volente Stables and Van Camp Trotting Corp., Up Your Deo posted just his second career victory in his 11th start.
The son of Walner returned $2.30 to win as the prohibitive favourite. With Chapercraz second, the exacta was worth $9.50 and third-place Crown finisher completed a $17 trifecta.
Up Your Deo's time of 1:53.1 broke the Yonkers track mark for three-year-old trotting colts, eclipsing the previous standard of 1:53.3 set in 2019 by Gimpanzee.
Svanstedt returned with favourite Kierkegaard K in the second $40,000 elimination, and though there was again an inquiry after the finish, it had no impact on Kierkegaard K, who wired the field impressively, drawing clear in 1:54.3 as the 2-5 choice.
Svanstedt had Kierkegaard K on the gate and left alertly from the pole position with Tillios Action, Devilish Hill and Ari Ferrari J all trying to leave from the outside. It was clear into the turn that Svanstedt had no interest in yielding the lead, so Devilish Hill and Andrew McCarthy took a tuck and Ari Ferrari J and Dexter Dunn took back to trail. Tillios Action and Jordan Stratton were left on the outside and they were fortunate to get into the pocket before the :27.2 quarter as Southwind Admiral and Todd McCarthy were willing to take a three-hole to follow the two favourites.
Svanstedt was looking to conserve his Chapter Seven-sired colt and managed to slow the half to :57.1 before any activity began on the outside. Kenobi and Tim Tetrick pulled out first, followed by Ari Ferrari J, but the pair had much ground to make up. Kierkegaard K was still backing the action down as Kenobi gained ground to three-quarters, which was clocked in a pedestrian 1:26.4.
In the final panel, Kierkegaard K got his cue to go and marched away from the pocket-sitter in the stretch, with Svanstedt demanding and getting the acceleration that would propel the colt through a :27.4 kicker. Tillios Action was more than comfortable following in second, with Stratton not urging his horse, while Ari Ferrari J made up ground in the stretch to be a fast-closing third. Squeezing between horses, Todd McCarthy was able to get Southwind Admiral fourth across the line in tight quarters, but the colt made a miscue right before the line. An inquiry followed and Southwind Admiral was set back, allowing Devilish Hill to be placed fourth and earn the last berth for next week's final.
Owned by breeder Knutsson Trotting Inc., Kierkegaard K was a winner for the third straight time in 2023 without defeat.
Kierkegaard K paid $2.80 to win. With Tillios Action second. the exacta was worth $10.80. Ari Ferrari J completed the $31 trifecta.
Three-year-old pacing fillies Earthwindfire and Ucandoit Blue Chip won a pair of $20,000 Park MGM Pace eliminations to kick off Friday's card at Yonkers.
Driven by Tim Tetrick, Earthwindfire, who just won a New York Sire Stakes division on Monday, June 19 at Monticello Raceway, scored in 1:52.2 after leading the way through fractions of :28.2, :56.4 and 1:24.2. Lisa Lane (Patrick Ryder) closed well after a pocket trip and was the runner-up, just a neck behind the winner, and Silky Stride (Jordan Stratton) collected third. Treacherous Penny (Andy McCarthy) was able to advance from sixth to fourth in the final panel to secure the last spot in the stakes final from the first elimination.
Brett Pelling trains Earthwindfire, a daughter of American Ideal bred by Stephen Dey III, for owners Mel Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Tulip Racing. Earthwindfire has a record of 8-4-0 from 13 starts with earnings totalling $378,750.
She paid $2.10 to win and was atop a $4.40 exacta and a $10.60 trifecta.
In the other elimination, Ucandoit Blue Chip, piloted by Scott Zeron, led early from post one, but 4-5 favourite Vivians Dream (Brian Sears) pressed on two-wide and moved past Ucandoit Blue Chip before the :27.2 opening quarter.
Vivians Dream went on to reach the half in :56.3 and the three-quarters in 1:25.1, with American Crispin (Jordan Stratton), who moved first-over out of fourth past the half, pressuring her as they raced in the backstretch for the second time.
Vivians Dream managed to put American Crispin away on the last turn, but that gave Ucandoit Blue Chip space to angle out, and once she had clearance, she was able to rally past Vivians Dream to take over the top spot again in the lane. The race wasn't over, though, as True Blue Hanover (Jason Bartlett), who sat at the back of the pack in fifth, rallied strongly on the inside to the wire. However, her bid fell a nostril short of success, as Ucandoit Blue Chip got to the line first in a 1:53 mile. Vivians Dream and Turn On The Charm (Marcus Miller) were third and fourth.
Ucandoit Blue Chip is a Keystone Velocity filly trained by Linda Toscano for owner Bill Elliott. The Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.-bred made her seventh appearance in the winner's circle from 13 starts and sent her bankroll to $341,993.
She returned $4.80 to win as the 7-5 second choice. The exacta was worth $79 and the trifecta kicked back $179.50.
The $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot final and the $100,000 (est.) Park MGM Pace final will take place next Friday, June 30 as part of an action-packed program that will also includes the $250,000 (est.) MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final and the $115,000 (est.) New York New York Mile final. The MGM Yonkers Trot and MGM Grand Messenger Stakes are the first legs of the Trotting and Pacing Triple Crowns.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)