It was a chalky beginning to the 2021 MGM Borgata Series for free-for-all pacers on Monday night at Yonkers Raceway as favourites delivered in four of the five $40,000 divisions.
Let It Ride N (Dexter Dunn) began the proceedings, prevailing off a second-over trip at 1-9 to run his record in the United States to seven wins from seven starts. Dunn brought Let It Ride N to the outside from fourth after the 56.4 half, and then picked up cover when This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras) tipped out of the pocket beyond the 1:24.1 three-quarters. Dunn sent Let It Ride N three-wide on the far turn, and he kicked home strongly to win by half a length in 1:52.2. This Is The Plan was the runner-up, and Rodeo Rock (Tim Tetrick) closed from sixth to third in the last quarter.
If future wagering were offered today on the Borgata Pacing Series Final, which will be held Monday, April 19, 2021 after five preliminary legs, the two favourites would undoubtably be Let It Ride and This Is The Plan.
After 40 of the 47 eligible pacers were entered into the Borgata Series first leg and split into five divisions, those two favourites found themselves in the same split–the first one of the series–which begins tonight (March 15) in race three.
Let It Ride N won two Group 1 stakes in Australia in 2018, but lost his form and settled into a winless rut in 2020. He shipped to America last fall to Nifty Norman’s stable and added Lasix, which Norman credited as a key change for the eight-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven gelding.
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A pair of new names have entered the most horses in the 2021 editions of the MGM Borgata and Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, to be contested at Yonkers Raceway throughout March and April. Both newcomers to the North American stakes scene, trainer Shane Tritton has seven horses between the two events and Neil Balcerak has five in the Borgata.
A total of 46 horses nominated for the 2021 Borgata (née Levy) and 20 were made eligible to the Matchmaker. Both events were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With four in the Borgata and three in the Matchmaker, Down Under native Tritton is feeling good about his chances and excited about his first stakes action since arriving in the U.S. less than a year ago.
It’s common for horses shipping over from New Zealand or Australia to need change: a new style of racing and training, to add Lasix, or just a change of scenery. And often there is nowhere to go but up for those horses. Take standout Nifty Norman import Let It Ride as an example. He lost 10 straight races in Australia before coming to the U.S., added Lasix, and became the next rising star pacer. However, when Some Waratah arrived in Amanda Kelley’s stable from Australia on a five-race win streak, she worried there was nowhere to go but down.