Tookadiveoffdipper will find himself in an unfamiliar spot when he lines up for his opening-round division of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for older male pacers at Yonkers Raceway on Monday (March 15). He will start from post one for the first time in 26 career starts at The Hilltop. In fact, it will be only the third time he leaves from anywhere inside of post four.
The first round of the six-week Borgata series, formerly the George Morton Levy Memorial, attracted 40 horses, which were split into five divisions. Tookadiveoffdipper is in the third division and 6-1 on the morning line for trainer-driver Pat Lachance.
During his career, Tookadiveoffdipper has won seven times at Yonkers and hit the board a total of 14. His most recent victory at the half-mile oval came Jan. 18 in his second start for Lachance after being trained previously by Virgil Morgan Jr.
The seven-year-old gelding was the 2018 Indiana Sire Stakes champion for older male pacers.
“He’s a nice horse,” Lachance said. “We’re still working on some things, just getting to know him, really. We’ve had a couple little issues with him, but I think he’s getting better. He’s going into (his race) very good.
“He’s got the rail this week, so we’ll put him in play. He can leave really good, so I expect him to race good.”
Last year’s Borgata series was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was, though, a November invitational for Borgata-eligible horses, and Tookadiveoffdipper finished third behind This Is The Plan and Ostro Hanover.
Tookadiveoffdipper, who began his career at the Iowa fairs, is a son of Always A Virgin out of Onceinabluemoon. He has won 38 of 114 races and $478,826. He is owned by Jane Cross and Mark Cross.
“He’s a nice horse to be around, all the way around,” Lachance said. “He’s a nice drive, very quiet in the barn. He does nothing wrong.”
Western Fame, who won the 2019 series, is in Monday’s fifth division of the Borgata. Leonidas A, last year’s Potomac Pace champion, is the 9-5 morning-line favourite in that division. The morning-line favourites in divisions one through four are Let It Ride N (9-5), American Mercury (3-1), Rockapelo (3-1), and Hesa Kingslayer N (5-2).
Fourteen horses in the Borgata have earned more than $500,000 lifetime -- led by millionaires Western Fame, This Is The Plan, and American History -- and an additional 10 have earned at least $370,000.
“There are a lot of good horses in there,” said Lachance, who is making his first appearance in the series since 2016. “We’ll see if (Tookadiveoffdipper) fits in there or not. He’s showed that he can go in the Open before, so I don’t see why not.
“It’s an exciting time.”
(USTA)