Four $50,000 sectors of the initial round of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series for stallions and geldings are scheduled for Monday (18th March) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
The opening segment will occur in race three of the 12-race agenda. Former Canadian Equine of the Year Desperate Man (starting from post five, Matt Kakaley slated to drive for trainer Travis Alexander) is set to participate, alongside Fourever Boy (post four, Scott Zeron driving for trainer Linda Toscano), who clinched the title at last year's Charles Juravinski Memorial at Ontario's Flamboro Downs. Hemsworth N (post six, Joe Bongiorno driving for trainer Jared Bako), the victor of a leg and last year's consolation, is also part of this group.
Race four features Hellabalou (post four, Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Mickey Burke), the unexpected winner of the 2023 $511,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final. Another contender from last year, Funathebeach N (post six, Jordan Stratton driving for trainer Jeff Gillis), will compete, along with former MGM Grand Messenger Stakes champion Pleaseletmeknow (post three, driven by Kakaley for Alexander) and multiple stakes victor I Did It Myway (post five, Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Chuck Crissman Jr.).
This Is The Plan (driven by Gingras for Burke), the 2021 MGM Borgata Pacing Series title holder, is in the third race of the day, race six. Besides his championship, This Is The Plan has reached two additional finals, securing eighth place in 2022 and fourth place last year. Covered Bridge (driven by Stratton for Gillis, post five), who finished third as the favourite in the previous year's championship, will also partake in this competition.
Leonidas A (post four, Austin Siegelman driving for trainer Matthew Medeiros), who secured second place in last year's final, and Idealsomemagic A (post one, George Brennan driving for trainer Cory Stratton) lead the ultimate section (race eight). They will face competitors such as Linedrive Hanover (post two, driven by Zeron for Toscano), who defeated the renowned Bulldog Hanover in the 2022 Juravinski Memorial final, Dunkin' (post five, driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Scott Di Domenico), who notched the highest number of wins by a Standardbred in North America in 2023 with 21 victories, and series veteran Semi Tough (post six, driven by Gingras for Burke).
Turning to the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, the event commences on Friday (15th March) with three $40,000 assessments for pacing mares (races two, four, and nine on the 12-race programme).