Post positions were drawn on Tuesday, Sept. 8 for the $1 million (USD) MGM Yonkers International Trot (Grade 1) along with the $200,000 USD Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot (Grade 2) and the $200,000 USD Aria Invitational Pace (Grade 2), which will all take place on Saturday, Sept. 12 at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Saturday's program has an early post time of 11:50 a.m.
Defending champion Lexus Kody, representing Canada, had luck on his side in the draw for the MGM Yonkers International Trot, which is race eight on the 11-race program and has post time at 3:23 p.m., as he will start from post one for the second straight year. The Ron Burke trainee will have leading driver Jason Bartlett in the bike. Burke also has 2025 MGM Grand Prix Series champion Antognoni S in the race from post nine with co-owner Yannick Gingras set to drive.
Déjà vu also struck for last year's International Trot runner-up Diva Ek IT, as she landed post eight again for trainer/driver Alessandro Gocciadoro. Also returning from last year's edition are third-place finisher Powwow NO (post seven) and Gio Cash DE (post two), who was a locked-in fourth as the favourite.
Marcus Melander also has a powerful pair in Maple Leaf Trot and John Cashman Memorial champion Super Chapter, who will start from post five with Dexter Dunn driving, and world champion Bourbonista S, who drew post four and will have Scott Zeron aboard. Melander captured the 2018 International Trot with Cruzado Dela Noche.
The field in its entirety for the mile and a quarter event is listed below.
$1 million USD Yonkers International Trot (Grade 1)
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Lexus Kody (Canada) - Jason Bartlett - Ron Burke
2. Gio Cash DE (Germany) - Robin Bakker - Daniel Wäjersten
3. Hooker Berry FR (France) - Antoine Lhéreté - Antoine Lhéreté
4. Bourbonista S (Sweden) - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
5. Super Chapter (USA) - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
6. Mellby Jinx S (Sweden) - Daniel Wäjersten - Daniel Wäjersten
7. Powwow NO (Norway) - Åke Svanstedt - Jan Waaler
8. Diva Ek IT (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro
9. Antognoni S (USA) - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
10. Betting Pacer S (Sweden) - Björn Goop - Björn Goop
The Aria Invitational Pace and Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot are races six and seven, respectively, and will also be held at the distance of a mile and a quarter.
In the Aria, Canadian Pacing Derby winner Best Chip landed post one for trainer/driver Joe Bongiorno, while local star Sweet Beach Life will put his nine-race win streak on the line when he starts from post seven with Matt Kakaley aboard for the Travis Alexander stable.
The Miecuna features 2025 winner Up Your Deo, who will leave from post six for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt.
The fields for those races in full are listed below.
$200,000 USD Aria Invitational Pace (Grade 2)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Best Chip - Joe Bongiorno - Joe Bongiorno
2. Go Go Grasshopper - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
3. Howlenthehills - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
4. Fifth And Five - Scott Zeron - Enrico Robinson
5. Hemsworth N - Scott Zeron - Jared Bako
6. Coaches Corner - Jason Bartlett - Petter Engblom
7. Sweet Beach Life - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
8. Aye Aye Captain N - Todd McCarthy - Ricky Bucci
9. Captinhammerhead A - Dexter Dunn - Scott Blackler
10. Mossdale Ben N - Jim Marohn Jr. - Peter Tritton
$200,000 USD Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot (Grade 2)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Southwind Coors - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. My Degenerate - Andy Miller - Julie Miller
3. Devilish Hill - Jason Bartlett - Petter Engblom
4. Sir Pinocchio - Jason Bartlett - Linda Toscano
5. Uncle Rat - Matt Kakaley - Travis Alexander
6. Up Your Deo - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
7. Asteroid - Colin Kelly - Enrico Robinson
8. Aetos Kronos S - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
9. Benjamin Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Scott Di Domenico
10. Ari Ferrari J - Tyler Buter - Peter Alagna
Trainers should be aware that there will be a strict detention policy in place for the International Trot, Miecuna and Aria as well as the New York Sire Stakes finals. The New York Gaming Commission will run the detention barn out of the paddock and the ship-in barn. It opens on Friday, Sept. 11 at 9:50 a.m. and closes promptly at 11:50 a.m. If a horse arrives late, they will be scratched.
For Saturday's wagering menu, the Standardbred Owners Association of New York (SOANY) is seeding $25,000 in the Pick 5, and the guarantee for that is $100,000. The SOANY is also seeding $10,000 in a special $3 minimum Pick 3 that features the Aria, Bob Miecuna and International Trot and that pool will be guaranteed at $25,000. The guarantees are being done in conjunction with the United States Trotting Association's Strategic Wagering Program.
Yonkers Raceway will have live racing Monday through Thursday and Saturday this week, with Friday, Sept. 11 dark in preparation for the International Trot program. Beginning next week, Yonkers will shift back to its Monday through Friday live schedule with first race post time each night at 6:45 p.m.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)