A neck, half a length, a neck, and half a length were the winning margins in four closely-contested $50,000 splits of the fourth leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday night at Yonkers Raceway.
Defending series champion This Is The Plan was a convincing winner in round one of this year's event, but then was second-best after cutting a slow pace on March 28, followed by a fading dead-heat for fifth from the pocket a week ago. He bounced back tonight, though, taking the first flight in 1:51.
Driven by Yannick Gingras from post one, This Is The Plan moved out of the pocket to get around a fast-leaving Splash Brother (Tyler Buter) and had command before the :27.2 opening quarter. Gingras then backed down the tempo to :56.2 at the half and 1:24.1 at three-quarters, with 2-5 favourite Nandolo N (Jason Bartlett) moving up to This Is The Plan's outside after coming first-over out of third before three-quarters.
This Is The Plan continued to stave off Nandolo N's bid around the last turn, and then responded when called upon by Gingras through the stretch, holding Nandolo N at bay by a neck at the finish line. Im Sir Blake A (Marcus Miller) worked out a second-over trip and was third.
Ron Burke trains This Is The Plan, a gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Larry Karr. This Is The Plan is now a 22-time winner, and he pushed his bankroll to $2,626,719. Dispatched as the 2-1 second choice, This Is The Plan paid $6.70 to win.
In the second section, Tattoo Artist (Dunn) picked up his initial victory in this year's MGM Borgata Pacing Series, stopping the teletimer in 1:51.
Chase H Hanover (Kakaley) blasted out quickly from post five and grabbed early command, but he would be looped by Tattoo Artist from the two-hole, and then Tattoo Artist ceded command to American History (Todd McCarthy), who moved out of third prior to the :27 opening quarter and landed on the point past that marker.
American History maintained the lead through a :54.4 half and a 1:22.1 three-quarters, but Dunn angled Tattoo Artist out two-wide midway through the far turn and went by American History early in the stretch drive. Chase H Hanover also had space to tip out in the lane and had pace to go with it, but Tattoo Artist had the jump on him and hit the wire half a length ahead of him. Bee Two Bee (Gingras) rallied from last at the half to third at the finish.
Tattoo Artist is a five-year-old Hes Watching stallion trained by Chris Ryder for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc., Frank Cannon, and Diamond Creek Racing. Tattoo Artist, a co-holder of the all-age track record at Yonkers (1:49.3), has compiled a record of 21-7-7 from 52 lifetime appearances, and the winner's share of the purse made him harness racing's newest millionaire, as his earnings now stand at $1,018,527. Sent off as the favourite, Tattoo Artist returned $3.30 to win.
Funatthebeach N (Jordan Stratton) pulled a 29-1 upset last Monday in winning in the Borgata, and he surprised the favourites again in tonight's third test, sweeping from last to first in the final quarter at odds of 9-2.
American Dealer N (Scott Zeron), Semi Tough (Gingras), and Poseidon Seelster (George Brennan) all left the gate with purpose in this race, and they were three-wide for most of a :26 opening quarter before American Dealer N relented at the inside, allowing Semi Tough to get into the pocket and Poseidon Seelster to the top. Brennan hit the brakes in the second quarter, getting to the half in just :56, and that prompted Captain Barbossa (Jason Bartlett) to get going first-over from fourth before that station. Pat Stanley N (Dunn) latched onto the cover to sit second-over, and Funatthebeach N and Stratton wound up third-over.
Captain Barbossa's try stalled out in second as Poseidon Seelster and Brennan picked up the pace to 1:23.4 at three-quarters. Captain Barbossa would then begin to back up on the last turn, and that sent Pat Stanley N and Funatthebeach N wide to try and get around him. Meanwhile, Poseidon Seelster remained in the lead and looked strong coming into the lane. However, that early three-wide position and hot tempo began to catch up with him, and Semi Tough, who had angled out of the pocket late on the final bend, went by him in deep stretch. Semi Tough couldn't hold on either, though, as Pat Stanley N and Funatthebeach N both surged by him to his outside, with Funatthebeach N taking the 1:51.4 decision. He downed Pat Stanley N by a neck, and Semi Tough had to settle for third.
Jeff Gillis and Mark Ford are the winning trainer-owner combination behind Funatthebeach N, an eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding. This was Funatthebeach N's 28th lifetime tally, and he now shows a bankroll of $457,539. He paid $11.00 to win.
Leonidas A won all four of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series prelims he entered in 2021, and he's on track to do the same thing this year, as he captured the last division in 1:50.4.
Driven by Austin Siegelman, Leonidas A got away in third from post two and watched as Dragon Said (Joe Bongiorno) and None Bettor A (Dan Dube) tussled for the lead, with None Bettor A moving out and around Dragon Said to get to the front past a :26.4 quarter. None Bettor A would then reach the half in ;55.3, but Leonidas A wheeled out first-over on the third turn and forged his way by None Bettor A prior to the 1:23.4 three-quarters.
After Leonidas A cleared, that left Jacks Legend N (Matt Kakaley) first-over, and those two would square off in a virtual match race through the last quarter. Jacks Legend N was very game two-wide, but Leonidas A was equally resolute on the inside and stayed in front of Jacks Legend N, bettering him by half a length. Western Joe (Dexter Dunn) was the third-place finisher.
The victorious seven-year-old gelding by Mach Three is trained by Sheena Cohen for owner Jesmeral Stable. Leonidas A made his 39th appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now pocketed $599,187. The 2-5 favourite, Leonidas A returned $2.60 to win.
In other news from the 13-race program, the recent run of “Million Dollar Mondays” on the wagering front continued, with handle checking in at $1,004,166.42.
One preliminary round remains in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series next Monday (April 18) before the final on April 25.
Stakes action rolls on at Yonkers this week on Wednesday (April 13) with four $25,000 divisions of the second leg of the John Brennan Trotting Series, and on Friday (April 15) when the fifth and final preliminary round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series occurs. The pacing mares were divided into three $40,000 groupings (races five, seven, and nine).
Yonkers is currently operating on a Monday-Friday live racing schedule with post time at 6:55 p.m.
(Yonkers)