A year after starting the Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial from the least advantageous position on the gate – post eight – at Saratoga Hotel Casino, Desperate Man finds himself in a much better spot for this year's edition of the $250,000 USD Grade 2 stakes event for older male pacers, set for Saturday, July 19.
Desperate Man will leave from post four with driver Matt Kakaley and was made the 7-5 morning line favourite for the 16th annual Gerrity Memorial. Statistically, post one is the best starting spot at Saratoga (a 21.2 per cent win rate) with post four (15.4 per cent) ranking just behind posts two and five (both 15.9 per cent) as the next best positions.
A seven-year-old gelding, Desperate Man heads to the Gerrity with five wins and a second in his past seven starts for trainer Travis Alexander.
“With the draw and how he’s been racing, I’m pretty confident,” said Kakaley. “He’s been really good and he’s a good horse.
“I think Travis has got the horse where we need him to be, for sure. I think it’s going to be a fun few months with that horse because he’s got some other engagements after the Gerrity coming up. He’s been super.”
Desperate Man, who finished fourth in last year’s Gerrity, has won 32 of 81 career races and earned $2.15 million for owner Kathy Cecchin of Arthur, Ont. He was Horse of the Year in 2021 when his victories included the North America Cup and Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final.
This season, he opened his campaign with two thirds and a second in three preliminary rounds of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway before winning prelim divisions in weeks four and five of the event. He began the Grade 1 final from post seven and finished eighth after going off stride with three-eighths of a mile to go.
“I think I might have had him a little too doubled up following [eventual winner Mossdale Ben N] there at the five-eighths,” said Kakaley. “He’s a big boy and when he wants to rock and roll, he wants to rock and roll. It was just one of those situations. But ever since then he’s been razor sharp.”
Desperate Man’s only loss since the Borgata final on May 9 was a second-place finish behind Ken Hanover in the Grade 2 Battle of Lake Erie on June 7 at MGM Northfield Park. Desperate Man led through the first three quarters of the race before being caught by Ken Hanover in the stretch in a world-record 1:48.3 mile.
“I was disappointed we lost because the horse raced so good and went such a great mile that he deserved to win,” said Kakaley. “But Ken Hanover is a good horse and he got a great trip.”
Desperate Man rebounded by winning an Invitational at Yonkers on June 30. He was set to race on July 14 at Yonkers, but the card was halted early because of persistent heavy rain.
“Travis just wanted to get a tightener for him, but the horse is fit,” said Kakaley. “I trained him a week ago [Wednesday] at Pocono and we went a decent mile. I’m not real worried about his fitness level or anything like that.
“He’s a great horse. He wasn’t voted Canada’s Horse of the Year for nothing.”
Desperate Man's stablemate Howlenthehills, 10-1 on the morning line, will start just to his inside from post three with Ridge Warren driving.
Ervin Hanover, leaving from post six with Wally Hennessey driving for trainer Dave Menary, is the 7-2 second choice in the Gerrity. Hennessey won the 2022 Gerrity with Tattoo Artist.
Coaches Corner, the 2024 Gerrity champ, drew post eight and was made 6-1 on the morning line. He will have two-time Gerrity winner Jason Bartlett in the sulky for trainer Per Engblom.
The complete field is listed below.
$250,000 USD Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace (Grade 2)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Binge On Yankee - Braxten Boyd - Todd Luther - 15-1
2. Dunkin - Tyler Buter - Scott DiDomenico - 5-1
3. Howlenthehills - Ridge Warren - Travis Alexander - 10-1
4. Desperate Man - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander - 7-5
5. Verdun - Pat Lachance - Pat Lachance - 8-1
6. Ervin Hanover - Wally Hennessey - David Menary - 7-2
7. Spring Inhis Step A - Brett Beckwith - Jeff Cullipher - 12-1
8. Coaches Corner - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom - 6-1
AE1. Helium N - Dan Noble - Christi Noble
Racing begins at 6:45 p.m. at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial is race seven on the card.
(With files from USTA; photo of Desperate Man winning earlier this year at Yonkers Raceway)