Can Desperate Man make it five straight?

Red hot Desperate Man (Shadow Play) shoots for a fifth straight harness racing win in the $32,000 Yonkers Raceway Open Pace tonight (Dec. 18), but he will have to again contend with a Yonkers specialist, and a new face.

Desperate Man, winner of the 2021 North America Cup, has excelled since being shipped south in September and moved into trainer Travis Alexander’s barn. He impressed in his first start in his new surroundings winning a non-winners of $10,000 in last five starts conditioned dash in 1:51-flat on October 5th.

Since then, the five-year-old gelding has excelled, winning four in a row after finishing third on October 17th. He was a clear winner of the last two Opens and is strictly the one to beat starting from the outside post in the six-horse field. Brent Holland, who has been in the bike for Desperate Man’s two most recent wins, again will be at the controls.

The $16,000 winner’s share of the purse would push the gelding close to $1 million in lifetime earnings for owner Kathy Cecchin of Arthur, Ontario. To date, he has amassed more than $981,000 on the strength of a 16-8-7 record from 54 starts.

Despite taking two straight wins in the top class, Desperate Man is listed as the 5 to 2 second choice. To extend his win streak, he will again need to handle tonight’s 2 to 1 morning line favorite, the tough and consistent millionaire Covered Bridge (American Ideal), who finished second in last week’s Open Pace after setting the pace to the stretch. Covered Bridge has been an ultra-consistent performer, winning 42 of 133 lifetime starts and 16 of those victories have come at Yonkers.

Last week, the Jeff Gillis trainee set a reasonable :56.3 opening half, then engaged in a third quarter war when Desperate Man popped out of the pocket to apply pressure. Covered Bridge couldn’t withstand that pressure, but he again gets post position on his main rival as he starts one post inside of Desperate Man. He will likely play come catch me again and it’s hard to discount a horse that has posted a 32 per cent strike rate in six seasons of racing. He looks to add to his $1.13 million in earnings for owner Mark Ford of Campbell Hall, New York.

The new face on the scene tonight is another American Ideal sire gelding who makes his first North American start after shipping overseas from Australia.

Carabao A, who will make this debut on American soil racing out of the Lance Hudson barn, qualified over Monticello Raceway on December 6th, making a first up move from the pocket in the back half to win going away in 1:58.3, pacing his final quarter in :28.3. He arrives riding a three-race win streak, taking those victories in extended distance races in July. He finished second in four straight starts prior to notching that threepeat. Matt Kakaley will steer the 6 to 1 morning line choice who starts from post three.

Peace Out Posse (Custard The Dragon) won the last race that Desperate Man lost at Yonkers, a conditioned pace on October 17th, and he is worth a look tonight getting post relief.

The eight-year-old Jennifer Bongiorno-trained gelding moves to the advantageous rail where teamster Joe Bongiorno is likely to put him into play from the outset. The half million dollar earner was an impressive front-end winner racing one class below the Open two starts back and last week, he couldn’t advance in a :27.1 kicker. He was beaten less than four lengths and drawing best gives him a chance tonight. Peace Out Posse will look to add to his earnings for J R Ryan of Florida and Collin Ryan of Pennsylvania.

Here is the full field for the Open Pace which is the fourth race on the 12-race card, and is scheduled to go at 8 p.m. Eastern:

1. Peace Out Posse (Joe Bongiorno) 5-1
2. Lou’s Sweetrevenge (Austin Siegelman) 8-1
3. Carabao N (Matt Kakaley) 6-1
4. Sonny Weaver N (George Brennan) 4-1
5. Covered Bridge (Jason Bartlett) 2-1
6. Desperate Man (Brent Holland) 5-2

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by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink