Borgata Pacing Series showdowns on Monday

The fourth of five preliminary harness racing rounds in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for free-for-allers will be featured next Monday night (April 10) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. There were 20 entrants for this leg, meaning there will be three $50,000 divisions (races three, six, and eight).

In the first flight Jimmy Freight (post three, Scott Zeron) and Backstreet Shadow (post four, Matt Kakaley) are scheduled to meet up. Jimmy Freight has a win and two seconds in his Borgata appearances so far, while Backstreet Shadow has a victory to go along with a pair of thirds.

The second split features five horses – defending champion Funatthebeach N (post two, Jordan Stratton), Idealsomemagic A (post three, Stratton also listed), Hellabalou (post five, Yannick Gingras), Hemsworth N (post six, Kakaley), and Tattoo Artist (post seven, Dexter Dunn) – who has visited victory lane at some point during this year’s MGM Borgata Pacing Series.

Leg winners American Courage (post two, Kakaley) and Leonidas A (post five, Austin Siegelman) head up Monday night’s final section. They will meet up with This Is The Plan (post six, Gingras), the 2021 winner of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final.

The MGM Borgata Pacing Series will conclude with the fifth leg on April 17 before the $200,000-added final estimated to boost the purse to $500,000 on April 24. That card will also include the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final and consolation events for both races.

MGM Yonkers Raceway will also offer the MGM Borgata Pacing Series champion a win-and-you’re-in opportunity to both the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie at MGM Northfield Park on June 10 and the $200,000 MGM Aria Pace at Yonkers on MGM Yonkers International Trot Day (September 23).

To complement the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, the Empire Terrace dining room will be open 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through April 24. Owners and fans are invited to attend the races and enjoy food from an ala carte menu. No reservations are required.

Tonight’s (Tuesday, April 4) card at MGM Yonkers Raceway features a $23,785.51 carryover and a $75,000 guaranteed pool in the 50-cent Pick 5 sequence.

The guarantee in the Pick 5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. Free past performances for the Pick 5, courtesy of TrackMaster, will be available here. The Pick 5, which begins in race five, has a takeout rate of 20 percent.

Also, continuing through this month, the Pick 5 pool on Thursdays at MGM Yonkers Raceway will be seeded with $10,000 and also have a guaranteed pool of $25,000. This initiative is being offered in partnership with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program.

Stakes racing resumes on Wednesday night at MGM Yonkers Raceway with six $25,000 divisions of the opening round of the John Brennan Trotting Series, and Friday night’s 11-race program features three $40,000 splits of the fourth leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for pacing mares. Amazing Dream N will look to stay undefeated in the event in the last of those tilts (race eight).

MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Friday live racing schedule with post time at 7 p.m. (EDT).

For Monday’s free race program when posted, click here.

From Yonkers Raceway