Super Chapter made a break when he raced at MGM Yonkers Raceway in last year's New York Sire Stakes final, but Dexter Dunn took no chances of a repeat of that performance, taking the prohibitive favourite in Friday's $410,959 MGM Yonkers Trot (Grade 2) well off-the-pace at the outset but still having plenty in reserve to secure a 1:54.3 victory in the opening leg of Trotting's Triple Crown.
With just five horses in the field, Dunn elected prudence at the outset with the Marcus Melander-trained Super Chapter as stablemate Variegated, with Scott Zeron driving, marched to the front from post three and Happy Jack B, with Ake Svanstedt, assumed the pocket. With the Todd McCarthy-driven Hard Seven breaking at the outset, Super Chapter was in fourth while well off the pace through a 29-second opening quarter.
Variegated kept the pace consistent, hitting the half in 58 seconds with Dunn sitting fourth to that station but beginning to energize the son of Chapter Seven. Dunn finally moved Super Chapter coming out of the third turn and he advanced quickly on the top pair as Variegated led the field through three-quarters in 1:26.3 with Svanstedt content to draft behind with Happy Jack B.
Dunn turned up the temperature on the pace and Super Chapter was more than up to the task, measuring off the field through a 28-second final quarter for a confident victory. Variegated was well clear for second three-quarters of a length behind, with Happy Jack B third in the five-horse field.
Super Chapter is owned by New York's Jeffrey Snyder and New Jersey's Arthur Pronti. He won for the eighth time in 14 lifetime starts, surpassing the $1 million mark in earnings. Super Chapter, a son of Chapter Seven (as were the rest of the Yonkers Trot quintet), is the fourth living foal out of the Cantab Hall mare Lifetime Pursuit. His dam has Grand Circuit stakes success of her own as the upset winner in the 2014 Hambletonian Oaks at The Meadowlands, her signature victory on the way to a $1 million racing career. Super Chapter is by far her most accomplished foal to date. Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Super Chapter was a $300,000 yearling purchase from the 2023 Standardbred Horse Sale.
Sent off as the shortest possible favourite, Super Chapter returned $2.10 to win with the exacta returning $4.10 and triple at $24.40.
"I just took my time, keeping him safe with the first turn," said Dunn, recalling the break in stride when Super Chapter was the prohibitive choice in last year's Sire Stakes final.
"He's gotten stronger," added Dunn, quite impressed thus far with Super Chapter's unblemished sophomore campaign.
This was the first Yonkers Trot triumph for Dunn and the third for trainer Melander, who won it first in 2019 with Gimpanzee and again in 2022 with the filly Joviality S.
Dexter Dunn completed a sweep of the Triple Crown opening leg races at Yonkers when he guided Twisted Destiny to victory in the $273,973 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes (Grade 2) for three-year-old male pacers. The Chris Ryder trainee scored in 1:51.2, holding off Dandy Ideal, with pacesetter Manolete third in the mile.
Manolete used the rail for Scott Zeron to perfect tactical advantage, zipping away from the gate at the outset and forcing Twisted Destiny and Dunn to move into a two-hole. Banderas, Papis Rocket and Odds On No Limit all left from the outer flank but were hampered as Banderas, with Jordan Stratton in the sulky, attempted to find a hole along the pylons but got shut out when World Of Wishes and Joe Bongiorno closed ranks on the inside. That move forced Stratton to hold Banderas in place and forced Papis Rocket, with Yannick Gingras, and Odds On No Limit, with Matt Kakaley, to retreat at the same time.
With the outside flank going nowhere, Dunn was half-in, half-out for much of the opening half, with Manolete setting hot fractions of :27.2 and :55.3 for the first two panels. Dunn finally pulled on the backstretch as second choice Dandy Ideal and Jason Bartlett were able to slip out from fourth and go on the offensive.
Manolete and Twisted Destiny battled through three-quarters in 1:23.4 and the pair went through the final turn on even terms with Twisted Destiny surging into the homestretch but needing a hard drive by Dunn to maintain his advantage as Dandy Ideal, the 6-5 second choice, attempted to collar him in the final yards but came up just short. Odds On No Limit and Papis Rocket rounded out the top five finishers in the field that had been reduced to seven when Fast Choice was scratched.
As the 4-5 betting favourite, Twisted Destiny returned $3.80 to win, keying an $8.10 exacta and a $13.40 trifecta.
Twisted Destiny was a winner for the ninth time in just 13 career starts for Ryder, who will be enshrined in the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York on July 6. Owned by Florida's Let It Ride Stables and Enviro Stables as well as New Jersey's Alberg Racing, Twisted Destiny increased his career earnings to $324,892 with the victory. Let It Ride Stables, Docs Farm Inc. and Dana Parham bred Twisted Destiny, a son of Bettors Wish and the ninth foal out of the $1.8 million-earning Badlands Hanover mare Tug River Princess.
While the victory was Ryder's third Messenger title, it was his first over the half-mile track at Yonkers.
Three-year-old trotting fillies were in action with Shes A Shoe In and Monalishi emerging with victories from a pair of $82,192 New York New York Mile (Grade 3) divisions.
Shes A Shoe In, driven by trainer Ray Schnittker, fired to the front in the first grouping but yielded to sit behind favoured Royal Mission (Scott Zeron) after that one tipped from the pocket prior to the :28.3 quarter. Royal Mission, the 2024 Sire Stakes champion in New York, was well-rated from there to a :58.2 half and a 1:27 three-quarters, but Shes A Shoe In, last year's Pennsylvania freshman champion, had the best kick in the lane as she angled out, surged by Royal Mission and won by a length in 1:56.4. Devious Babe (Andy Miller) also vaulted past Royal Mission in the lane to get second.
Schnittker also trains and co-owns Shes A Shoe In, a Steve Jones-bred daughter of Greenshoe and Casaubon, with New York partner Ma3 Racing Stable. Shes A Shoe In now has four wins, three seconds and a third from 14 career starts and has banked $327,996.
She paid $22.40 to win as a 10-1 shot. The exacta was worth $96 and the trifecta kicked back $213.
The complexion of the other division changed on the first turn when favoured EL Nightwish (Dexter Dunn) went off stride, which allowed second choice Monalishi and Yannick Gingras to drive on and clear Seventh Gen (Jeff Gregory) coming to the :28.4 quarter-mile point. It was all Monalishi from there, as the O'Brien Award winner for the division a year ago was unchallenged to the half in :58.2 and three-quarters in 1:27.2, then came home in 28 seconds flat to defeat Seventh Gen by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:55.2. R Lady W (Scott Zeron) couldn't mount a bid from first-over and had to settle for third.
A filly by Green Manalishi S out of Pretty Phylly G, Monalishi is co-owned by trainer Blake MacIntosh in partnership with Tim Klemencic of Trenton, Ont. Bred by Shmuel Farhi, Monalishi has a summary of 9-3-0 from 15 outings and has put away $726,975.
She returned $5 to win and led a $48.80 exacta and a $136.50 trifecta.
The Last Martini and Mrs Cheese picked up Grand Circuit victories in two $68,493 Park MGM Pace (Grade 3) divisions for three-year-old fillies.
Sent off at 1-9 in the opening flight, The Last Martini and Doug McNair watched from third as Fashion Terror (Scott Zeron) cut fractions of :28.4 and :58 for the opening half, then got going first-over before the field hit the third turn. Fashion Terror was able to hold off The Last Martini to three-quarters in 1:26 and continued to battle with her around the last turn, but The Last Martini finally put the stubborn pacesetter away in the lane.
However, The Last Martini's work wasn't done as Dressed To Kill (Yannick Gingras) tracked her from second-over and had pace in the lane after tipping out. The Last Martini was able to hold sway to the wire, defeating Dressed To Kill by a nose in a 1:54.2 mile. Fashion Terror was a good third, followed by Family Jewel (Jason Bartlett) and Intricacy (George Brennan).
Jared Bako trains the Crawford Farms-bred daughter of Huntsville out of Martinique for owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Ingersoll, Ont. The Last Martini has a summary of 7-5-2 from 15 starts and has put away $862,461.
She paid $2.10 while keying a $7.90 exacta and a $15 trifecta.
In the other section, Mrs Cheese and Matt Kakaley worked their way to the point from the outside post five before the :27.4 quarter and maintained command to the half in :57.1 and the three-quarters in 1:25.3. Pocket-sitter Fansville (Joe Bongiorno) vacated the pylons prior to three-quarters and she was tracked by favoured Please Be You (Scott Zeron).
Mrs Cheese was up to the challenge when confronted by Fansville, though, as she fought her off all the way around the final bend and to the finish line, tallying by a neck in 1:54.2. Please Be You got third, followed by Martini Star (Jason Bartlett) and Huntingfortreasure (Dan Dube).
An American Ideal-Ms Cheesman filly bred by Winbak Farm, Mrs Cheese is trained by Scott Di Domenico for owner Triple D Stables of New Jersey. Mrs Cheese has a pair of wins and two seconds from seven trips behind the gate and doubled her bankroll, which now stands at $66,495.
Mrs Cheese returned $10 to win as a 4-1 offering. She was atop a $32.20 exacta and a $45.40 trifecta.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)