Post positions have been drawn for Yonkers Raceway’s pair of $500,000 Triple Crown events, set for the Saturday night.
The 65th Yonkers Trot required no eliminations, as just eight three-year-olds entered. Hambletonian winner Forbidden Trade drew post position No. 6 in what was carded as the sixth race.
“It wasn’t in our original plan, but plans change,” trainer Luc Blais said. “We let him tell us what to do and he’s been training so well.”
Forbidden Trade, a son of Kadabra, supplemented to the Trot after his two-year-old season. He has won six of his nine starts at three ($671,484), the latest an Ontario Sire Stakes Gold event at Mohawk. The colt, who has made two half-mile-track OSS starts in his career, is owned by Serge Godin’s Determination and driven by Bob McClure.
“Always such a professional,” McClure said in advance of his—and his date’s—first trip to Westchester. “Just from Day One, he was mentally ahead of the other trotters.”
Defending the honour of the Empire State is Gimpanzee (Brian Sears, post 4), a perfect 4-for-4 here including last season’s $225,000 New York Sire Stakes title.
The Chapter Seven colt, trained Marcus Melander for co-owners Courant Inc. and S R F Stable, has won 13 of his 15 career starts ($895,996). He enters off a paid sire stakes workout last weekend at Batavia where every other horse in the field went off at triple-figures-to-one.
Yonkers Trot
1. Osterc (Dexter Dunn)
2. Soul Strong (Dunn also listed)
3. Sheenas Boy (Andy Miller)
4. Gimpanzee (Brian Sears)
5. Livinonthedash (Marcus Miller)
6. Forbidden Trade (Bob McClure)
7. HL Revadon (Jim Marohn, Jr.)
8. No Drama Please (Jason Bartlett)
Messenger Stakes No. 64, which began with soph pacers, found elim winners Bettors Wish (Dunn, post 1) and Aflame Hanover (Corey Callahan, post 8) starting from the pole and the polar opposite, respectively.
Bettors Wish, a Bettors Delight colt—the lone $30,000 supplement into this race—has hit the board in 22-of-23 career tries (13 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds, $1,131,600). He has eight wins and three seconds) in 11 tries this season. Chris Ryder co-owns (with Bella Racing, Fair Island Farm & Bettors Wish Partners) and trains.
Messenger
1. Bettors Wish (Dunn)
2. Branquinho (Bartlett)
3. American Mercury (Tyler Buter)
4. U S Captain (Bartlett also listed)
5. Reigning Deo (George Brennan)
6. Waterway (Joe Bongiorno)
7. Escapetothebeach (Callahan)
8. Aflame Hanover (Callahan also listed).
Saturday night’s dozen-race card also includes companion events, the $124,334 Hudson Filly Trot (4th race) and $122,224 Lady Maud (5th race).
First post is the usual 6:50 p.m.
(Yonkers)