Rock N Roll Heaven, the richest harness horse this season, drew penultimate post position four for Saturday night's $437,100 Messenger Stakes
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The 55th edition of the Messenger – the third jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown - wraps up Yonkers Raceway's stakes season and goes as the eighth race (approximate post 9:40 p.m.).on the 13-race card. First post is the usual 7:10 p.m.
The connections of Rock N Roll Heaven - owner Frank Bellino of Bronxville, NY, that is - took $60,000 from the colt's $1.8 million war chest to supplement to the Messenger. For the season, the son of Rocknroll Hanover has 13 wins - including seven-in-a-row - two seconds and one third in 18 starts. He's captured the $500,000 final of Breeders Crown along with the $410,789 final of the Little Brown Jug (winning elim and final in identical 1:49.2 efforts), and makes his local debut off a win in last month's $604,000 Tattersalls at The Red Mile.
Bruce Saunders trains and Dan Dube drives the Harness Horse of the Year favourite, who has won 17-of-27 career starts and more than $2.4 million.
One More Laugh, who counts the million-dollar Meadowlands Pace (nailing Rock N Roll Heaven on the money) and Yonkers' $294,965 Art Rooney among his seven-win, $1.3 million season, landed outside of his four rivals. He is the sport's second-richest pacer this season, and finished a hard-charging second to Rock N Roll Heaven in that aforementioned Tattersalls event.
Trainer Ray Schnittker shares ownership - with Creative Racing Stable and Jerry Silva - of the Mcardle gelding, One More Laugh's breeder and co-owner, Mathias Meinzinger, passed away earlier this week.
Tim Tetrick, who won this race a season ago behind If I Can Dream, has the assignment.
Two-time New York Sire Stakes Hes Gorgeous, who has enjoyed tremendous success in Westchester, landed post position three. He brings a .680 lifetime batting average (17-for-25) into this event. The Art Major colt is owned by Ken Jacobs, trained by Linda Toscano and driven by George Brennan.
Tobago Cays (Cat Manzi) and Urgent Action (Jason Bartlett) have the inside two slots.
The companion event to the Messenger Stakes, the $326,680 Lady Maud Pace for soph fillies, goes as Saturday night's sixth race (approximate post 9 p.m.)
The purse was bolstered by a trio of $30,000 supplemental entrants in New York Sire Stakes champion Anndrovette, Cannae Cammie and Naughtytiltheend.
(Yonkers Raceway)