Travis Alexander trainees finish 1-2 in MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final
June 28
Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY
Purse $225,000
Trainer Travis Alexander won the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final for 3-year-old male pacers at MGM Yonkers Raceway for a third time and swept the exacta in Friday night's (June 28) $225,000 edition of the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown, as Sweet Beach Life rallied past stablemate Howlenthehills for a 1:53.1 victory.
Elimination winner Janelle Granny, driven by George Brennan, went to the lead from post six and cut an opening quarter in 27.2 with Lou's World (Todd McCarthy) in the pocket, followed by elimination winner Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley) and Armada Hanover (Tim Tetrick). Janelle Granny would remained unpressured to the half in 56.2, but Kakaley guided Howlenthehills first-up shortly after that marker, and he would be tracked in the outer tier by Armada Hanover, Sweet Beach Life (Tyler Buter) and Wish You Well (Scott Zeron).
Howlenthehills made steady progress on the outside to get side-by-side with Janelle Granny at the 1:24.4 three-quarters, and their duel would continue around the final bend, with Tetrick sending Armada Hanover three-wide late on the turn and Buter fanning Sweet Beach Life out four-wide.
In the stretch Howlenthehills forged his way into the top spot as Janelle Granny tired, but Sweet Beach Life had the best kick to the wire and was up to take the race by half a length. Howlenthehills out-lasted Armada Hanover for second and Lou's World, who had to move out to get past the tiring Janelle Granny and then swung back to the inside, had to settle for fourth. Wish You Well came on to get fifth.
"They filled me in on the horse. He drove perfect, couldn't ask for more," said Buter, who picked up the drive on Sweet Beach Life when Kakaley opted to stick with Howlenthehills after he qualified both for the final. "Matt told me just keep him quiet, and he'll have a good kick coming home. He wasn't kidding. He's nice to drive, and he got the job done."
A Sweet Lou gelding bred by Sergent Stables LLC., Sweet Beach Life is trained by Alexander for owner A Sweet Beach Life Stable. He has a summary of 5-3-3 from 17 outings, has put away $189,732 and paid $15.40 to win as the 6-1 fourth choice. He keyed a $41.80 exacta and a $174.50 trifecta.
"That's pretty cool. We've always thought really highly of this colt. He just is his own worst enemy," said Travis Alexander's wife Alaina, who assists in the training of the stable. "We couldn't ask for a better drive."
Sweet Beach Life | Final
Sweet Beach Life | Final
Sweet Beach Life | Final
Janelle Granny | Elim
Howlenthehills & Janelle Granny capture MGM Grand Messenger Stakes elims
June 21
Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY
Purse $50,000 (2 elims)
Race favorites Howlenthehills and Janelle Granny emerged victorious from the pair of $25,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes eliminations for sophomore colt and gelding pacers on Friday night (June 21) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Captain Skippy (Dexter Dunn) blasted to the front from the outside post seven in the opening elimination, but then he made a break on the first turn. When Captain Skippy broke, Dunn took him to the outside, but Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley) was out there, too, and Howlenthehills was forced five-wide to get around him. After moving past the confusion, Howlenthehills advanced quickly and was able to get to the top in front of Bonaparte (Andy McCarthy), who had also been bothered by the breaker, nearing the 28.2 quarter-mile station.
Howlenthehills continued on the point through fractions of 57 seconds to the half and 1:25.1 to three-quarters and got separation from his pursuers on the last turn. In the stretch Armada Hanover (Tim Tetrick) was cut loose three-wide off the dull cover of Escape To America (Jason Bartlett) and finished full of pace to the wire, but Howlenthehills had a big enough jump on Armada Hanover to hold on and get the victory by a head in 1:53.3. Lou's World (Todd McCarthy) also closed well after angling out off an inside trip and was third and Escape To America also moved on to the final.
A New York-sired gelding by American Ideal, Howlenthehills, a Travis Alexander trainee, was bred by Crawford Farms and is owned by Symmetry Stables LLC. After going winless in eight tries as a 2-year-old, Howlenthehills is six-for-six in 2024 and has pocketed $191,981 lifetime. He paid $3.10 to win as the 1-2 choice and keyed a $13.80 exacta and a $54.50 trifecta.
In the other elimination Bet On Mac (Bartlett), Huntingforchrome (Tyler Buter) and Janelle Granny (Tetrick) were all quick off the gate. Huntingforchrome would press on around Bet On Mac before the 27.1 quarter, then yielded to sit behind Janelle Granny, who raced in the North America Cup final six nights prior, after that marker. Once in control, Janelle Granny clocked the half in 56 seconds, but would be challenged by a first-over Mr Three O Five (Yannick Gingras) on the way to the 1:24.4 three-quarters.
Janelle Granny was able to withstand Mr Three O Five's bid on the last turn, then got a bit of a gap on the others coming off the bend after putting him away for good. Sweet Beach Life (Kakaley) tracked Mr Sweet O Five from second-over and did kick home strongly after swinging to the outside, he couldn't reach Janelle Granny, coming up a neck short. Mr Three O Five hung around to get third after getting rebuffed and Wish You Well got third to grab a spot in the final.
Scott Di Domenico trains Janelle Granny, a Fear The Dragon colt bred by Larry Miller, for owner Betty Clegg. Janelle Granny has nine wins, 11 seconds and a third from 25 tries, has earned $302,186 and returned $4.10 to win as the even-money choice. The exacta was worth $16.00 and the trifecta kicked back $34.40.
The finals of the MGM Grand Messenger and MGM Yonkers Trot will take place on Friday, June 28 and will be joined by their companion filly events - the Park MGM for pacers and the New York New York Mile for trotters. Fans attending the races live on June 28 will be treated to an outdoor market on the track apron. An integration of the casino and track worlds will take place as patrons from both sides of the gambling world will be welcomed to enjoy special food stands, live music and other promotional items as part of a Triple Crown Fan Fest.
camerican upsets in park mgm filly pace
June 28
Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY
Purse $90,000
Sophomore pacing fillies took to the track in the companion event to the MGM Grand Messenger, the $90,000 Park MGM Pace, and Camerican (Yannick Gingras), got up from the pocket to defeat 1-5 favorite and pace-setter Peace Talks in a 1:54.2 mile. Leanne's Choice (Marcus Miller) was third.
Ron Burke trains Camerican, a daughter of American Ideal, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Larry Karr, M1 Stable LLC. and Jack Piatt III. Bred by Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., M1 Stable LLC. and Piatt, Camerican made her fifth trip to the winner's circle, has now earned $346,332 and returned $6.80 to win as the 2-1 second choice. The exacta was worth $11.80 and the trifecta kicked back $43.40.
"I drove her once last year in Kentucky and she won in 1:50.3 and I raced her in the Breeders Crown," remarked Gingras. "We got a good trip and it worked out. She finished third in the Breeders Crown last year. I don't know if she can race much better than those. She raced the best fillies in the country and finished third, so I think she's a nice horse.
"I felt really confident. I think that's her kind of trip. She likes to follow a little bit, and obviously following that one was the right one."