Messenger and Yonkers Trot elim draws

The harness racing Pacing and Trotting Triple Crowns get underway for 2022 with two $40,000 eliminations of both the MGM Yonkers Trot and MGM Grand Messenger Stakes on Friday night (June 24) at Yonkers Raceway. The top four finishers from each race will advance to the finals on Friday, July 1.

All eyes will be on the filly Joviality S (post five, Brian Sears/Marcus Melander) in the first MGM Yonkers Trot elimination, where she will face six rivals. Joviality S won in New York Sire Stakes action at Yonkers on May 16 to begin her 3-year-old season and then went to Vernon Downs and took another New York Sire Stakes leg and the Empire Breeders Classic for sophomore trotting fillies. Dover In Motion (post four, Jordan Stratton/Jamie Macomber), who has won nine of 11 career starts, invades from Indiana to tackle Joviality S.

Justice (post four, Ake Svanstedt) took the Empire Breeders Classic for 3-year-old male trotters at Vernon last time out and leads the second MGM Yonkers Trot elimination. He’ll meet up with five foes, including Double Deceiver (post three, David Miller/Carter Pinske), a winner in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition last time out and the winner of the Kentucky Championship Series final as a freshman.

Gulf Shores (post three, Yannick Gingras/Brian Brown) tallied in the Ohio Sires Stakes at MGM Northfield Park on the 11th of June and ships in to headline the first MGM Grand Messenger Stakes elimination. Gulf Shores was the Ohio Sires Stakes champion in 2021 and then finished second, beaten just a nose, by eventual Dan Patch Award winner Monte Miki in the Breeders Crown final. Layton Hanover (post four, Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander), a recent Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victor, will try to knock off the probable favorite.

Elimination two in the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes will see Hammering Hank (post three, Dexter Dunn/Brett Pelling) make his Yonkers debut. Hammering Hank won the Kindergarten Classic Series final in 2021 and returned to action with a third in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Harrah’s Philadelphia. He’ll try and best the likes of last year’s MGM Springfield Stakes champion Pleaseletmeknow (post four, Kakaley/Alexander) and Grand Circuit and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner Market Based (post five, Dunn also listed for trainer Nancy Takter.

The full elim fields with listed drivers/trainers are as follows:

MGM Grand Messenger Elim 1 (Race 7)

1-Captain Cowboy by Captaintreacherous – (Yannick Gingras/Ake Svanstedt)

2-Nautical Hanover by Captaintreacherous – (Todd McCarthy/Tony Alagna)

3-Gulf Shores by Downbytheseaside – (Yannick Gingras/Brian Brown)

4-Layton Hanover by Captaintreacherous – (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander

5-Boston by Sweet Lou – (Joe Bongiorno/Jenn Bongiorno)

6-PJ Lou by Sweet Lou – (Jason Bartlett/Mark Harder)

MGM Grand Messenger Elim 2 (Race 9)

1-Six Feet Apart by Sweet Lou – (David Miller/Brian Brown)

2-Atlas Hanover by Captaintreacherous – (Dexter Dunn/Tony Alagna)

3-Hammering Hank by Captaintreacherous – (Dexter Dunn/Brett Pelling)

4-Pleaseletmeknow by American Ideal – (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)

5-Market Based by Sweet Lou – (Dexter Dunn/Nancy Takter)

6-Huntanover by Huntsville – (Tyler Buter/George Ducharme)

MGM Yonkers Trot Elim 1 (Race 8)

1-Kosher Mahoney by Explosive Matter – (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)

2-Pour Mea Double by Bar Hopping – (Tim Tetrick/Lucas Wallin)

3-Brave By Design by Walner – (Joe Bongiorno/Jennifer Bongiorno)

4-Dover In Motion by Dover Dan – (Jordan Stratton/Jamie Macomber)

5-Joviality S by Chapter Seven – (Brian Sears/Marcus Melander)

6-Slay by Chapter Seven – (Tim Tetrick/Tony Alagna)

7-Quincy Market by El Titan – (Jason Bartlett/Nick Devita)

MGM Yonkers Trot Elim 2 (Race 10)

1-Robertsin by Muscle Hill – (George Brennan/Nik Drennan)

2-Middleman by Devious Man – (Brian Sears/D. Benny Eggers)

3-Double Deceiver by Cantab Hall – (David Miller/Carter Pinske)

4-Justice by Chapter Seven – (Ake Svanstedt trains/drives)

5-Majestic J by Walner – (Todd McCarthy/Tony Alagna)

6-Saverio Hanover by Walner – (David Miller/Ron Coyne Jr.)

The companion filly events, the New York New York mile for trotters and Park MGM for pacers, did not require eliminations and will go right to the finals on July 1. The horses who entered are listed below:

New York New York Mile

Cash Infusion by Chapter Seven

Gettinmystepsin by Chapter Seven

HL Revina by Andover Hall

Jiggy Jog S by Walner

Little Pink Lies by Chapter Seven

Peyton Hanover by Muscle Hill

Quick Bet by Walner

What Should I Goo by Googoo Gaagaa

Park MGM Pace

Fly Like An Angel by Roll With Joe

Gotthegreenlight by American Ideal

Lee Loo by Huntsville

Lightning Leia by Downbytheseaside

Madeira Hanover by Captaintreacherous

Nadina Hanover by American Ideal

Wickedly Innocent by American Ideal

Wine N Dine Me by Huntsville

Post time for the 11-race program on Friday night at Yonkers is at 6:55 p.m.

From Yonkers Raceway