Canadian representative Lexus Kody made every call a winning one to capture the Grade 1 $1.38 million MGM International Trot on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Yonkers Raceway.
Leaving from the rail with driver Yannick Gingras at the controls, Lexus Kody fronted the field through fractions of :28.1, :57.2, 1:27.1 and 1:56 for the mile, closing the 1-1/4 mile event in :28.4 to trip the timer in 2:24.4.
Italy's Diva EK IT came flying late for trainer-driver Alessandro Gocciadoro to finish second, less than a length back of the winner, with Norway's Powwow No (Björn Goop) besting the favourite, Germany's Gio Cash DE (Daniel Wajersten) for the show spot.
"Honestly, this horse was not even close to being 100 percent today. In the last turn, if he was 100 percent, I think he would have just taken off and won by five. A win's a win, I'll take the win," Gingras stated. "He was perfect (manners-wise). As long as he's relaxed in the post parade, that's when he's usually at his best. He was really chill. They've done a tremendous job with him. It was a lot work, not just for me but Joe-Joe (groom Joseph Tosies) at the farm and then Ronnie and everybody else. It wasn't something that was easy. We always knew the potential was there, it was try to get it out of them. That's what they do best. I have all the respect in the world for the Burke Brigade. Their horses come back year after year after year and they improve. All credit to them.
"I did rate it enough but I'm not going to lie, I wasn't loaded turning for home. I did want the wire. I didn't kick the earplugs, but he was giving me what he could."
"He's a different horse right now," said trainer Ron Burke, indicating that Lexus Kody has responded well to some recent changes. "Now he's able to, you know, be used in a different way. And it's nice to draw inside. We've been in — a couple of times — this race before, where we drew in the wrong spot.
"He warmed up, and I was like, 'Yannick, I don't know yet if they'll beat him to the turn...he gets through the turns really fast now,' Burke continued. "He warmed up great, and Yannick did a good job. Everything fell the right way for him: the right horses were parked, the right horses were locked in, and you know, that's what you need to do sometimes to go the whole way on the lead."
Burke, the U.S. Hall of Famer who has won more races and earned more purse money than another trainer in harness racing history, was clearly thrilled post-race with his first International Trot score.
"This is a big one, you know, this is a million American!" said Burke with a smile, referencing his recent million-dollar G1 Pepsi North America Cup win with Louprint.
Bred in Canada by Norm Dunstan of Caledon Village, Ont., Lexus Kody (Archangel - Lexus Helios) is a seven-year-old gelding owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa., Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pa. and Phil Collura of Mountain Top, Pa. The win, his 33rd lifetime, lifts his earnings to $1,934,662.
Since Yonkers revived the International Trot in 2015, Lexus Kody is the first Canadian representative to win this prestigious event. He joins Tie Silk (1962), Armbro Flight (1966) and Fresh Yankee (1970) as Canadian winners, with all of those victories coming in the previous iteration of the event held at Roosevelt Raceway.
As the 3-1 second choice, Lexus Kody returned $8.76 to win. Burke added that Lexus Kody will be right back in action on Friday, Sept. 19 night at Hoosier Park in the Caesars Trotting Classic.
Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace taken by Captain Albano
Captain Albano was a winner in his first start at MGM Yonkers Raceway after he captured Saturday afternoon's Grade 2 $277,778 Aria Invitational Pace. A two-time Dan Patch Award recipient, Captain Albano covered the mile and a quarter distance in 2:21.1.
Driver Todd McCarthy kept Captain Albano on the outside from post six and watched as Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) and Racing Rebel (Yannick Gingras) battled for early supremacy. Coaches Corner would clear on the way to the 27.3 quarter and then McCarthy drove Captain Albano forward to wrestle the top spot away from Coaches Corner coming to the 56.2 half-mile station.
Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley), who landed fourth from a trailing post 10, was out and pressing first-up approaching the half, giving cover to Jamaican Rock A (Scott Zeron), Soho Firestone A (Dexter Dunn) and Verdun (Pat Lachance). Desperate Man advanced into second on the rim but could only offer mild pressure to Captain Albano to three-quarters in 1:25 and to the mile marker in 1:54 as Jamaican Rock A was swung out three-wide by Zeron.
Jamaican Rock A loomed to Captain Albano's flank after being shown the clear racetrack, but Captain Albano, who was second in a hard-fought Jim Ewart Memorial at Scioto a week ago, had the answer to his challenge and to Coaches Corner through the lane, defeating the latter by a half-length. Jamaican Rock A wound up third, followed by Verdun and this year's MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion Mossdale Ben N (Jordan Stratton).
"This horse has a heart of gold. He had a big start there at Scioto and with the ship it's a real credit to his heart and personality to be able to come back and do that. He was pretty strong on the end still," McCarthy said after the win. "He stepped out of the gate nice and I wanted to let Yannick and Jason sort their positions out before I kept pressing. We had to do a little bit to get around but once he got there, he settled nice for me. He's just a true professional.
"I was kind of keeping an eye on Scotty down the back there. I knew when he'd be moving he'd probably be going pretty quick. I made sure I had a little bit of gas left in the tank. When I asked him at the top of the straight, he had a little bit left for me."
Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous, for owners Patricia Stable, L A Express And Sjoblom Inc., Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan. He has a summary of 23-6-2 from 36 career starts, has pocketed $2,485,369 and paid $3.64 to win as the favourite. The exacta was $9.72 and the trifecta kicked back $72.40.
Up Your Deo dominant in Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot
2023 MGM Yonkers Trot champion Up Your Deo took command early in Saturday afternoon's Grade 2 $277,778 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot and never relinquished it, cruising to an impressive 2:23.2 triumph over the mile and a quarter.
After battling past the start with last year's MGM Yonkers Trot victor Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett), Up Your Deo (Dexter Dunn) cleared him for the top spot prior to the 27.1 quarter. Behind them, race favourite Antognoni S (Yannick Gingras), who captured the final of this year's John Brennan Series final at Yonkers, landed third from post eight as defending Miecuna winner Ari Ferrari J (Todd McCarthy) made a break.
Up Your Deo continued on the point to the half in 56.1 and Antognoni S made another move by coming first-over past that station. However, he stalled prior to the 1:25.1 three-quarters and then began to retreat before the 1:53.4 mile as Up Your Deo got separation from both Antognoni S and the pocket-sitting Sir Pinocchio.
There was no catching Up Your Deo around the final turn and to the wire as well, as he remained clear and prevailed by 2 3/4 lengths. Security Protected (Scott Zeron) went three-wide from fourth to get around Antognoni S early on the last turn and got up to finish a clear second while Ghostly Casper (Jordan Stratton) and Ferretti (Matt Kakaley) were up for third and fourth from the tiring Sir Pinocchio.
Trainer Ake Svanstedt also co-owns Up Your Deo, a five-year-old stallion by Walner, with breeder Deo Volente Farms and their partners Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc. and Van Camp Trotting Corp. Up Your Deo has a summary of 9-5-7 from 40 starts, has put away $1,252,972 and returned $7.90 to win as the 5-2 third choice. He was atop a $34.66 exacta and a $522.42 trifecta.
(Standardbred Canada & Yonkers Raceway)