Fields drawn for Friday's four Grand Circuit finals at Yonkers
On Monday afternoon (June 26), the open draws took place for Friday night's (June 30) four Grand Circuit finals for 3-year-olds at MGM Yonkers Raceway: the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot, the $250,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes, the $115,000 Park MGM Pace and the $100,000 New York New York Mile. The MGM Yonkers Trot and the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes are the first legs of the Trotting and Pacing Triple Crowns.
Trainer Ake Svanstedt swept the MGM Yonkers Trot eliminations last Friday (June 23) and had good luck in the draw for the final as Up Your Deo landed post two and stablemate Kierkegaard K is right next to him in post three. Svanstedt co-owns Up Your Deo, who set a track record in his elimination victory, so he will drive him, leaving the call on Kierkegaard K to Mark MacDonald.
The other event to require eliminations was the Park MGM Pace for fillies, and the winners of those races, Earthwindfire and Ucandoit Blue Chip, will depart from posts five and two, respectively, in the championship.
As for the MGN Grand Messenger and New York New York Mile, they went straight to their finals without eliminations and will be conducted at the distance of a mile and sixteenth with two horses starting from trailing posts in the MGM Grand Messenger and one horse in a trailing post in the New York New York Mile.
To complement the big night of racing, the Empire Terrace Dining Room will be open during the program. For more information, please call 914-457-2627.
The full draws, in race order, for the four finals, with listed drivers and trainers, are as follows.
$100,000 New York New York Mile - 3YO Filly Trot - Race 5
1-Life Itself (Ake Svanstedt trains/drives)
2-Sadie Hanover (Scott Zeron/Linda Toscano)
3-Canterbury Hanover (Jeff Gregory trains/drives)
4-Walner Payton (Dexter Dunn/Chris Ryder)
5-Usosweet Blue Chip (Marcus Miller/Erv Miller)
6-Emira Mil IT (Svanstedt also listed trainer/driver)
7-Tipsy Moni (Jim Marohn Jr./D.R. Ackerman)
8-Secret Volo (Brian Sears/Marcus Melander)
9-Warrawee Yes (George Brennan/Mark Steacy)
$115,000 Park MGM - 3YO Filly Pace - Race 6
1-Treacherous Penny (Andy McCarthy/Tony Alagna)
2-Ucandoit Blue Chip (Scott Zeron/Linda Toscano)
3-Lisa Lane (Patrick Ryder/Chris Ryder)
4-Turn On The Charm (Marcus Miller/Bruce Clarke)
5-Earthwindfire (Tim Tetrick/Brett Pelling)
6-Vivians Dream (Brian Sears/Kevin Lare)
7-True Blue Hanover (Jason Bartlett/John Balzer)
8-Silky Stride (Jordan Stratton/Mark Harder)
$250,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes - 3YO C&G Pace - Race 7
1-Annapolis Hanover (Hunter Myers/Mitchell York)
2-Seven Colors (Tim Tetrick/Brian Brown)
3-Strengthfromabove (Jason Bartlett/Per Engblom)
4-American Fling (Jason Bartlett/Ed Hart)
5-Captain Batboy (Jordan Stratton/Tom Fanning)
6-Thunder Hunter Joe (Tyler Buter/Nick Devita)
7-It's A Me Mario (Brian Sears/Shane Tritton)
8-Hungry Man (Andy McCarthy/Tony Alagna)
9-Bamboozler (Dexter Dunn/Virgil Morgan Jr.)
10-Joemikiyoursofine (Yannick Gingras/Chris Choate)
$300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot - 3YO C&G Trot - Race 8
1-Chapercraz (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)
2-Up Your Deo (Ake Svanstedt trains/drives)
3-Kierkegaard K (Mark MacDonald/Ake Svanstedt)
4-Crown (Brian Sears/Marcus Melander)
5-Ari Ferrari J (Dexter Dunn/Tony Alagna)
6-Tillio's Action (Jordan Stratton/John Grasso)
7-Devilish Hill (Andy McCarthy/Lucas Wallin)
8-Manclane (Tyler Buter/John Butenschoen)
