Up Your Deo dominant in $200K Bob Miecuna Invitational

2023 MGM Yonkers Trot harness racing champion Up Your Deo (Walner) took command early in Saturday afternoon’s Grade 2 $200,000 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot at MGM Yonkers Raceway and never relinquished it, cruising to an impressive 2:23.2 triumph over the mile and a quarter.

After battling past the start with last year’s MGM Yonkers Trot victor Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett), Up Your Deo (Dexter Dunn) cleared him for the top spot prior to the 27.1 quarter. Behind them, race favorite Antognoni S (Yannick Gingras), who captured the final of this year’s John Brennan Series final at Yonkers, landed third from post eight as defending Miecuna winner Ari Ferrari J (Todd McCarthy) made a break.

Up Your Deo continued on the point to the half in 56.1 and Antognoni S would make another move by coming first-over past that station. However, he stalled prior to the 1:25.1 three-quarters and then began to retreat before the 1:53.4 mile as Up Your Deo got separation from both Antognoni S and the pocket-sitting Sir Pinocchio.

There was no catching Up Your Deo around the final turn and to the wire as well, as he remained clear and prevailed by 2 3/4 lengths. Security Protected (Scott Zeron) went three-wide from fourth to get around Antognoni S early on the last turn and got up to finish a clear second while Ghostly Casper (Jordan Stratton) and Ferretti (Matt Kakaley) were up for third and fourth from the tiring Sir Pinocchio.

UP YOUR DEO REPLAY

Trainer Ake Svanstedt also co-owns Up Your Deo, a 5-year-old stallion by Walner, with breeder Deo Volente Farms and their partners Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc. and Van Camp Trotting Corp. Up Your Deo has a summary of 9-5-7 from 40 starts, has put away $1,106,111 and returned $7.90 to win as the 5-2 third choice. He was atop a $34.66 exacta and a $522.42 trifecta.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From Yonkers Raceway