Desperate Man, the recipient of the prestigious 2021 Horse of the Year title in Canada, emerged victorious in the first of four $67,568 races of the opening leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for older horses and geldings on Monday night (March 18) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Alongside Desperate Man, Rocknroll Runa A, Covered Bridge, and Linedrive Hanover also secured wins in their respective races.
Under the expert guidance of driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander, Desperate Man set off from post five and skillfully overtook Sumomentsomwhere A (driven by Yannick Gingras) to claim the leading position just before the :27 second mark. Maintaining his dominance throughout, Desperate Man faced no challenges, allowing Kakaley to ease off the pace during the middle-half fractions, clocking in at :56 and 1:24.2. With a final burst of speed in the last quarter, Desperate Man crossed the finish line a length and a half ahead of Sumomentsomwhere A, completing the mile in 1:51.4. Venturesome Arden N (Brent Holland) secured third place.
Desperate Man, a six-year-old Shadow Play gelding, is proudly owned by Kathy Cecchin and bred by Winbak Farm. This victory marked his 17th career win, pushing his total earnings to an impressive $1,280,785. As the clear favourite with odds of 1-2, Desperate Man paid out $3.00 for a winning ticket. The exacta bet yielded $6.60, while the trifecta earned punters $32.00.