Next round Desperate Man takes on Dunkin’ in Borgata

Desperate Man (Shadow Play) will look to stay undefeated in this year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series as he races in the first of a trio of $50,000 harness racing splits of the fourth leg on Monday night (April 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Five foes will line up against Desperate Man, who drew post five in the event (race three on the 12-race program). Dunkin’ (post one) has two straight victories in the series himself and Covered Bridge (post four) took a division back in the first round.

In the second section (race four), someone will get their initial triumph in the 2024 edition of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series. Former series champions Funatthebeach N (post three) and This Is The Plan (post four) are in this tilt, as are former MGM Grand Messenger Stakes victor Pleaseletmeknow (post one) and multi-time Borgata finalist Leonidas A (post two).

Race ten in the last of Monday’s flights, and Rocknroll Runa A (post one) looms as the one to beat as he has a pair of victories and a third in the prelims to date. Last year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion Hellabalou (post four) turned in a much-improved effort in leg three and may be rounding into form at the right time.

A full look at the fields is as follows:

Division 1 / Race 3
Post-Horse-Sire-Driver-Trainer
1-Dunkin’ (Pet Rock) Tim Tetrick-Scott Di Domenico
2-Idealsomemagic A (American Ideal) George Brennan-Cory Stratton
3-Torrid Saint A (Shadow Play) Matthew Athearn-Jimmy Nickerson
4-Covered Bridge (American Ideal) Jordan Stratton-Jeff Gillis
5-Desperate Man (Shadow Play) Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander
6-Sumomentsomwhere A (Somebeachsomewhere) Yannick Gingras-Mickey Burke Jr.

Division 2 / Race 4
1-Pleaseletmeknow (American Ideal) Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander
2-Leonidas A (Mach Three) Austin Siegelman-Matthew Medeiros
3-Funatthebeach N (Somebeachsomewhere) Jordan Stratton-Jeff Gillis
4-This Is The Plan (Somebeachsomewhere) Yannick Gingras-Mickey Burke Jr.
5-Hemsworth N (Sweet Lou) Joe Bongiorno-Jared Bako
6-Strengthfromabove (Tellitlikeitis) Joe Bongiorno-Besim Odza

Division 3 / Race 10
1-Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven) Mark MacDonald/Larry Stalbaum
2-Backstreet Shadow (Shadow Play) Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander
3-Coaches Corner (Always A Virgin) Jason Bartlett-Per Engblom
4-Hellabalou (Sweet Lou) Yannick Gingras-Mickey Burke Jr.
5-Venturesome Arden N (Captaintreacherous) George Brennan-Ricky Bucci
6-Fourever Boy (Sweet Lou) Mark MacDonald-Linda Toscano

Preliminary round action in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series continues through Monday, April 15, with the $200,000 added final slated to take place on Monday, April 22. This year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series final will also have a “win and you’re in” feature for the $125,000 Birthday Invitational Pace in May to celebrate 125 years of MGM Yonkers Raceway, the Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield on June 8 and the Aria Invitational at Yonkers (scheduled for Sept. 7).

The John Brennan Trotting Series will be added to the current mix of ongoing stakes races at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Wednesday (April 3) with four $25,000 tilts to get that event underway. The John Brennan Trotting Series, which has three prelims prior to the $55,000 added final on April 24, is named in honor of the longtime SOA of NY horsemen’s representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020. The series is for 3-year-olds and older who were non-winners of six pari-mutuel races or $200,000 through Feb. 1, 2024, with winners over $250,000 as of that date not eligible.

Friday night’s (April 5) program at MGM Yonkers Raceway will be headlined by two $40,000 splits of the fourth leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares. Mikala (post two), Dougs Babe A (post three) and Incaseyoudidntknow (post five) all look for their second prelim win in the first division (race four), while Lit De Rose (post one) goes for her third in the other section (race nine). She’ll take on the likes of Delitfulcatherin N (post six), one of last Friday’s victors. The opening rounds of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will continue through Friday, April 12, with the $125,000 added final on Monday, April 22.

Live racing takes place at Yonkers on a Monday-Friday schedule with post time each night at 7 P.M. (EDT).

From Yonkers Raceway