Messenger Stakes & Yonkers Trot will have elims

Harness racing’s Triple Crown events will commence for 2024 on Friday night (June 21) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with two $25,000 eliminations for the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes for sophomore male pacers and a single $25,000 MGM Yonkers Trot elimination for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters.

Howlenthehills (American Ideal), a New York-sired gelding who is five-for-five this year, leads the first MGM Grand Messenger Stakes elimination (race six) and competes for a driver/trainer combination in Matt Kakaley and Travis Alexander who captured the event in 2021 with American Courage and in 2022 with Pleaseletmeknow. Escape To America (post three) is riding a three-race win streak in the New York Excelsior “A” Series and Ameritric (post six) won a New York Sire Stakes leg at Buffalo Raceway earlier this month.

The second MGM Grand Messenger Stakes elimination is race seven, and supplemental entrant Janelle Granny (post seven) ships south after racing in the North America Cup final on Saturday night (June 15). The Kakaley/Alexander combo is represented in this elimination as well with Sweet Beach Life (post one), a Sweet Lou gelding with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes tally at Pocono on May 18.

The full fields for the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes eliminations are as follows:

MGM Grand Messenger Stakes Elimination 1 – Race 6

Post Position-Horse-Sire-Listed Driver-Listed Trainer

1-Bonaparte-Bettor’s Wish-Andy McCarthy-Richard Johnson

2-Howlenthehills-American Ideal-Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander

3-Escape To America-American Ideal-Jason Bartlett-Deborah Daguet

4-Armada Hanover-Stay Hungry-Tim Tetrick-Brett Pelling

5-Lou’s World-Sweet Lou-Todd McCarthy-Garry Merner Jr.

6-Ameritric-American Ideal-Scott Zeron-George Ducharme

7-Captain Skippy-Captaintreacherous-Dexter Dunn-Ake Svanstedt

MGM Grand Messenger Stakes Elimination 2 – Race 7

Head Number-Post Position-Horse-Sire-Listed Driver-Listed Trainer

2-1-Sweet Beach Life-Sweet Lou-Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander

1-2-Mr Three O Five-Lazarus-Yannick Gingras-Nancy Takter

1A-3-Bet On Mac-Bettor’s Delight-Tyler Buter-Sam De Pinto

3-4-Wish You Well-Bettor’s Wish-David Miller-Nifty Norman

4-5-Huntingforchrome-Huntsville-Tyler Buter-Jenn Bongiorno

5-6-Tenacious Hanover-Stay Hungry-Scott Zeron-Linda Toscano

6-7-Janelle Granny-Fear The Dragon-Tim Tetrick-Scott Di Domenico

A field of eight will contest the MGM Yonkers Trot elimination in race four, and the top five finishers will join bye-takers Security Protected, Situationship and Sir Pinocchio in the final. I’m Out (post one) is the only horse with a win this year in the field as he is three-for-six, including a victory in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series at The Meadows on May 31.

Flying Kronos S (post two), one of two in the group for three-time MGM Yonkers Trot winning trainer Ake Svanstedt, was the runner-up to Karl in the 2023 Kindergarten Series final, Fly By (post five) is coming off a pair of seconds in New York Sire Stakes action and Bargain (post four) was the runner-up in the New York Sire Stakes final last year. Listed below is the MGM Yonkers Trot elimination field in full.

MGM Yonkers Trot Elimination – Race 4

Head Number-Post Position-Horse-Sire-Listed Driver-Listed Trainer

3-1-I’m Out-Father Patrick-Tim Tetrick-Scott Di Domenico

1-2-Flying Kronos S-Face Time Bourbon-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt

4-3-It Wasn’t Me-Chapter Seven-Dexter Dunn-Tony Alagna

2-4-Bargain-Chapter Seven-Yannick Gingras-Nancy Takter

5-5-Fly By-Chapter Seven-Jason Bartlett-Tony Alagna

2A-6-Duke Of Walner-Walner-Tim Tetrick-Lucas Wallin

6-7-Mr Grant-Tactical Landing-Jim Marohn Jr.-D.R. Ackerman

1A-8-Southwind Metric-Walner-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt

The finals of the MGM Grand Messenger and MGM Yonkers Trot will take place on Friday, June 28 and will be joined by their companion filly events – the Park MGM for pacers and the New York New York Mile for trotters. Fans attending the races live on June 28 will be treated to an outdoor market on the track apron. An integration of the casino and track worlds will take place as patrons from both sides of the gambling world will be welcomed to enjoy special food stands, live music and other promotional items as part of a Triple Crown Fan Fest.

MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday live schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT).

From Yonkers Raceway