Coaches Corner looks for 11th straight in Yonkers feature

Wednesday night’s harness racing feature at Yonkers Raceway could come down to a battle between two geldings that have been win machines as they will knock heads in 3 to 6-year-old Open Pace.

Coaches Corner (Always A Virgin), was assigned 7 to 5 morning line favorite status as he enters this race looking for an eleventh straight win, and win number 21 in his 41st start. He has been idle since December 18th after dominating in the non-winners $20,501 last five level, where he was taking his seventh win against no losses at Yonkers.

Bought initially for $13,000 at the 2021 Hoosier Sale, Coaches Corner is now owned by Jeff Fought Racing of Florida and Brian Carsey, Indiana. Jason Bartlett, who has driven the gelding to six of his Yonkers wins, will again hold the lines. Coaches Corner will leave from post four.

Six-year-old Simon Says Hanover (Captaintreacherous), the second choice in the morning line at 9 to 5, has taken 18 wins in 49 lifetime starts with 10 of those victories coming last year.

The Jared Bako trainee was purchased for $150,000 at the 2019 Harrisburg sale and he has earned close to $230,000 to date. He is currently owned by Randy Zane of Laval, Quebec, and he was assigned the outside post five for this race.

Simon Says Hanover has won five of his last eight starts, winning at the Open level four times. He will be guided by Daniel Dube, who teamed him to all those wins. Most recently, he passed them all in a 3 to 5-year-old Open, deploying a :27.2 kicker to drive away from his rivals, winning by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:53.2. He took his lifetime mark of 1:49.4 winning at the same level in early October last year at Yonkers.

There is a troika of contenders to the inside of the two morning line favorites who will also have aa say in the outcome. Venturesome Arden N (Captaintreacherous) shipped overseas from New Zealand and took a Yonkers win in his North American debut, a 1:57.1 front end score in a non-winners of four dash on December 19th.

He parlayed that win with a scorching 1:50.4 two-move victory at the Meadowlands on December 30th before going unplaced in his most recent start. The Ricky Bucci trainee likes it on the front end and Jordan Stratton will likely send him hard leaving the gate from post three.

Mickey Burke trainee Captain Cowboy (Captaintreacherous) ships in from Dover Downs, where he has raced in the Open his past three starts, finishing in the money twice. A winner of 10 of 50 starts, good for just under $450,000 in earnings, Captain Cowboy raced twice at Yonkers in 2022, finishing a close third in the $261,000 Messenger Stakes Final.

He is owned by Burke Racing Stable Llc, Weaver Bruscemi Llc, of Pennsylvania, Knox Services Inc, of Ohio and Beasty Llc, of Nevada and he will start from post two.

Greg The Leg (Huntsville) is the final entrant in the quintet, and he drew the advantageous rail post for his 2024 debut. The Michael Forte had a busy yet productive 2023 campaign, taking 13 wins from 38 starts after winning only twice in his first 20 tries.

He won twice at the 3 to 5-year-old Open level here late last year, and teamster Brent Holland is sure to use rail control leaving the gate to get positioned on or near the lead. Greg The Leg has finished in the exacta in 30 of his 58 starts and he has made close to $327,000. He is owned by Lester Gelardi Jr. of Florida.

Here is the field for the 3- to 6-year old Open, which will go as race 8, scheduled to go at 9:30 p.m.

1. Greg The Leg – Brent Holland

2. Captain Cowboy – Yannick Gingras

3. Venturesome Arden N – Jordan Stratton

4. Coaches Corner – Jason Bartlett

5. Simon Says Hanover – Daniel Dube

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink