Sir Pinocchio became a two-time winner on harness racing's Grand Circuit this year, as the Dexter Cup champion was a front-stepping 1:54.4 winner in the $410,959 MGM Yonkers Trot at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday, June 28, giving him the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.
Driver Jason Bartlett fired Sir Pinocchio out from post two and battled for early command with pole-sitter and favourite Security Protected (Tim Tetrick), but that trotter made a break on the opening turn, leaving Sir Pinocchio in front well before the quarter, which went on the board in just 29 seconds.
Facing no outside pressure in the second quarter, Bartlett kept the tempo easy, getting to the half in just :58.2.
Passing the half-mile marker, trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt swung Situationship, who had made a break before the start but reset and sat fifth, to the outside first-over, and he came with a strong bid that carried him to within half a length of Sir Pinocchio at the 1:26.3 three-quarters.
Sir Pinocchio was game, though, keeping Situationship at bay on the rim and going on to the win by half a length in 1:54.4. Situationship was second and third went to elimination winner Bargain (Yannick Gingras). Fly By (Scott Zeron) also recovered from an early miscue to collect fourth and Im Out (Marcus Miller), who also went off-stride from fourth before three-quarters, was fifth.
The stakes victory completed a day to remember for Bartlett as he was able to get to Yonkers Raceway before the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes after watching his son Kobe graduate from high school.
"I got to see him walk across the podium and receive his diploma. I made record time down here to get here just so I wouldn't miss it," said Bartlett. "It was a big day for me."
While others were unable to keep trotting in both the Dexter Cup and tonight's Yonkers Trot, Sir Pinocchio has kept his cool both times.
"Tonight, we had [Security Protected] beat out of there. Eddie [trainer Ed Hart] told me that he watched him warm up and he looked a little weird in the turns, so we went out of there with him in the turn, and he blew up," remarked Bartlett. "You can't really go into these races with any sort of plan or anything. They all sort of go out the window in the first eighth."
Hart trains Sir Pinocchio, a gelding by Mets Hall, for owner/breeder Carolyn Atherton. Sir Pinocchio now has six wins, four seconds and two thirds from 14 appearances and has pocketed $450,382.
He paid $10.80 to win as the 4-1 third choice and was atop a $33.40 exacta and a $162.50 trifecta.
"It was a tough field. We had a good post and I was hopeful. We got a little lucky for sure," stated Hart. "He's the real deal. He's a nice horse, and he's getting better, too. He's a little better on a big track, I think.
"He has the Canadian Trotting Classic in September and a few other races. He's staked up a little bit, but no Hambletonian."
Irv Atherton represented wife Carolyn in the winner's circle ceremonies. The Athertons are from nearby Scarsdale, New York and have enjoyed success in the sport before, but perhaps not at this level.
"He's up at Vernon next week for the Zweig. We'll go from there," remarked Irv Atherton. "We've had some really good ones, but this is a long time coming. The little guy gets to the winner's circle."
The filly companion event to the Yonkers Trot is the New York New York Mile and it was raced in a pair of $75,343 divisions. In the first one of those, Eloise (Corey Callahan) worked out a second-over trip and forged her way by first-over Tactical Lori (Tyler Buter) late in the mile to win by a neck in 1:57. Kinesiology (George Brennan) was the third-place finisher.
Eloise, bred by Crawford Farms, is trained by Ron Coyne Jr. for owners Ron Coyne Stables Inc., Blair Corbeil, Richard Carney and Farrell Carney. A daughter of Tactical Landing, Eloise now has six wins from 16 career starts and has earned $134,745.
She returned $7.10 to win as the 5-2 second choice and led an exacta of $16.20 and a trifecta of $66.50.
Miss I La (Joe Bongiorno) led throughout in the second split and won in 1:57.2 as favourites R Melina (Tyler Buter) and Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn) both made breaks before the half. Draw The Line (Gingras) was game after a first-over trip and held off a closing Cocktailwithakick (Svanstedt) for the second spot.
"Once I saw [R Melina break stride], it kind of put the race in my hands to decide if I wanted to cut it or be in the two-hole behind Date Night Hanover, but I didn't love the way Date Night Hanover looked scoring down. I thought she looked a little off in her gait, so I took the shot of being on the front," said Bongiorno. "I know this one is probably better with a target, but in this field on a half-mile track, I thought I'd take my chances and see if I could hold them off."
A filly by Walner, Miss I La is trained by Noel Daley for owner Ken Jacobs. Miss I La is now a four-time victor from 15 trips behind the gate and sent her bankroll over $250,000.
She paid $14.60 to win as a 6-1 shot. The exacta was worth $110.50 and the trifecta kicked back $607.
Trainer Travis Alexander won the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes for three-year-old male pacers at Yonkers Raceway for a third time and swept the exacta in this year's $308,219 edition of the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown, as Sweet Beach Life rallied past stablemate Howlenthehills for a 1:53.1 victory.
Elimination winner Janelle Granny (George Brennan) went to the lead from post six and cut an opening quarter in :27.2 with Lous World (Todd McCarthy) in the pocket, followed by elimination winner Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley) and Armada Hanover (Tim Tetrick).
Janelle Granny remained unpressured to the half in :56.2, but Kakaley guided Howlenthehills first-up shortly after that marker and he was tracked in the outer tier by Armada Hanover, Sweet Beach Life (Tyler Buter) and Wish You Well (Scott Zeron).
Howlenthehills made steady progress on the outside to get side-by-side with Janelle Granny at the 1:24.2 three-quarters and their duel continued around the final bend, with Tetrick sending Armada Hanover three-wide late on the turn and Buter fanning Sweet Beach Life out four-wide.
In the stretch, Howlenthehills forged his way into the top spot as Janelle Granny tired, but Sweet Beach Life had the best kick to the wire and was up to take the race by half a length. Howlenthehills out-lasted Armada Hanover for second and Lous World, who had to move out to get past the tiring Janelle Granny and then swung back to the inside, had to settle for fourth. Wish You Well came on to get fifth.
"They filled me in on the horse. He drove perfect, couldn't ask for more," said Buter, who picked up the drive on Sweet Beach Life when Kakaley opted to stick with Howlenthehills after he qualified both for the final. "Matt told me just keep him quiet and he'll have a good kick coming home. He wasn't kidding. He's nice to drive and he got the job done."
A Sweet Lou gelding bred by Sergent Stables LLC, Sweet Beach Life is trained by Alexander for owner A Sweet Beach Life Stable. He has a summary of 5-3-3 from 17 career outings and has put away just over $250,000 in purse earnings.
Sweet Beach Life paid $15.40 to win as the 6-1 fourth choice. He keyed a $41.80 exacta and a $174.50 trifecta.
"That's pretty cool. We've always thought really highly of this colt. He just is his own worst enemy," said Alexander's wife Alaina, who assists in the training of the stable. "We couldn't ask for a better drive."
Sophomore pacing fillies took to the track in the companion event to the Messenger, the $123,288 Park MGM Pace, and Camerican (Yannick Gingras), got up from the pocket to defeat 1-5 favourite and pacesetter Peace Talks (Jason Bartlett) in a 1:54.2 mile. Leannes Choice (Marcus Miller) was third.
"I felt really confident. I think that's her kind of trip," said Gingras. "She likes to follow a little bit, and obviously following that one was the right one."
Ron Burke trains Camerican, a daughter of American Ideal, for breeders Burke Racing Stable LLC, M1 Stable LLC and Jack Piatt III, and co-owner Larry Karr. Camerican made her fifth trip to the winner's circle from 19 career starts and has now earned $374,576.
"I drove her once last year in Kentucky and she won in 1:50.3 and I raced her in the Breeders Crown," remarked Gingras. "We got a good trip and it worked out. She finished third in the Breeders Crown last year. I don't know if she can race much better than those. She raced the best fillies in the country and finished third, so I think she's a nice horse.
Camerican returned $6.80 to win as the 2-1 second choice. The exacta was worth $11.80 and the trifecta kicked back $43.40.
Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday/Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday live racing schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)