Dual Invitational trotters featured at Yonkers

The Invitational harness racing trotters take centre stage at Yonkers Raceway Thursday night (March 14th) with a $35,000 dash for each gender lined up.

First up are the fillies and mares in race two, led by Tipsy Moni (International Moni), who shoots for her fourth win in a row at the Invitation level, and No Mas Drama (Muscles Yankee), who crushed the field in last week’s invite with Tipsy Moni missing.

Tipsy Moni won three straight races in the fall after being acquired by her current ownership group of Yannick Gingras, Ben Mondello and Fac Racing Llc then she broke in two straight races. The Per Engblom trainee requalified impressively in the Freehold slop on February 2nd and then ripped off the three straight wins.

In her most recent victory on February 29th, she chased down No Mas Drama who had the benefit of cutting a leisurely :58.4 opening half. Part-owner Gingras drives looking to team his mare to a fourth straight win, and she is the 7 to 5 morning line favorite.

No Mas Drama couldn’t have been more impressive winning at this level last week. Gingras sent her to the front immediately and she improved her position throughout, winning by 8 3/4 lengths in the end, in a snappy 1:55.1. The Nicole Dicostanzo pupil was winning for the first time in five starts this year coming off two narrow Invitation defeats. The seven-year-old mare needs $4,800 in earnings to go over the $700,000 mark lifetime. Joe Bongiorno drives this week.

Here is the full field for the Fillies and Mares Invitational Handicap which goes as race 2 on the 10-race card and is scheduled to go off at 7:20 p.m. Eastern.

1. Lady Jeter – Brent Holland – 8/1

2. Perfect Vixen – Matt Kakaley – 4/1

3. No Turning Back – George Brennan – 5/1

4. No Mas Drama – Joe Bongiorno – 2/1

5. Tipsy Moni – Yannick Gingras – 7/5

A competitive six pack of the top male trotters on the grounds knock heads in race nine.

Nows The Moment (Credit Winner) had a four-race win streak broken in his last start, but the 47-time winner has still been installed as the 2 to 1 morning line favorite.

The nine-year-old gelded Allison Macdonald trainee has won 14 of his last 29 starts, and he went over $800,000 in earnings in his most recent start. Austin Siegelman, who handled Nows The Moment in all four of his victories in his recent win streak, handles the lines. Nows The Moment has been assigned the outside post.

Warrior One (Father Patrick) hit his peak form at Yonkers in February, winning two straight in the non-winners of $30,000 last five class. The Mickey Burke trainee is owned by Yannick Gingras who will once again be in the bike. He leaves from post four and he is the 5 to 2 second choice in the morning line.

Third choice Eurobond (Love You) has toiled in the Open ranks for several years, amassing more than $716,000 while winning 40 of 128 starts. The Per Engblom pupil comes into this race off a second-place finish to hot trotter Stable Genius at the Meadowlands. The nine-year-old stallion won his previous start after starting from the Yonkers eight hole, and he is sure to take advantage of the rail post to get position near the front leaving the gate. Eurobond is 3 to 1 in the morning line.

Here is the full field for the Invitation Trot which is scheduled to go at 9:40 p.m. eastern as the ninth race.

1. Eurobond – Jason Bartlett – 3/1

2. Tachyon – George Brennan – 8/1

3. On Higher Ground – Joe Bongiorno – 6/1

4. Warrior One – Yannick Gingras – 5/2

5. Royalty Beer – Steve Smith – 7/2

6. Nows The Moment – Austin Siegelman – 2/1

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink