There were no winners in either the Pick 5 or Pick 6 wagers on Monday night (May 24) at Yonkers Raceway, resulting in an $11,480.56 carryover in the Pick 5 and a $2,251.43 carryover in the Pick 6 on Tuesday night’s (May 25) ten-race program. The Pick 5 pool will also be guaranteed at $25,000.
The guarantee in the Pick 5 is being offered as part of the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. The Pick 5, which begins in race five, and the Pick 6, which starts in race three, both have takeout rates of 20 percent.
One of the upsets that led to the carryovers came in the featured $37,000 Open Handicap Pace, as 9-1 shot Raukapuka Ruler N (Jordan Stratton) led all the way and defeated pocket-sitter Galante A (Jim Marohn, Jr.) by half a length in 1:52. Raukapuka Ruler N is an eight-year-old Bettors Delight gelding trained by Peter Tritton for owner Tritton 2 Inc.
American Courage, who started his career seven-for-seven before an out-of-character seventh-place finish in the New York Sire Stakes final last September, began his three-year-old campaign in style with an authoritative 1:52 victory in one of four W.N. Reynolds Memorial divisions for sophomore pacers of both sexes that took place on Friday night at Yonkers Raceway.
Driven by Matt Kakaley in the $23,750 event, American Courage gunned out from post six and was able to clear 1-5 choice Ill Drink To That (Dexter Dunn) before the :27.1 opening quarter. American Courage remained the boss through the :56.1 half and the 1:24.3 three-quarters, then paced home in :27.2 to defeat Ill Drink To That by a length and three-quarters. Shakespeare (Todd McCarthy) followed along in third throughout and ended up finishing in that spot.
This Is The Plan was able to overcome starting from the outside post eight with a blitz off the gate and then never let anybody get close to him after that in winning Monday night s $514,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final at Yonkers Raceway in 1:50.4.
This Is The Plan, driven by Yannick Gingras and one of three in the final sent out by trainer Ron Burke, was dispatched at odds of 11-1.
Rockapelo (George Brennan), Hesa Kingslayer N (Jim Marohn, Jr.), Mach N Cheese (Joe Bongiorno), Western Joe (Dexter Dunn), Backstreet Shadow (Tim Tetrick), and This Is The Plan all showed speed at the start of the race, but it was This Is The Plan who was able to go from six-wide early on the bend to leading over stablemate Rockapelo by the time they entered the backstretch for the first time. Everybody else then got down to the cones except for Backstreet Shadow, who was left on the outside as the first quarter rang up in :26.4.
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On Tuesday afternoon (April 13), the draws were held for the $514,000 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final and $232,800 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final, both of which will take place on Monday, April 19 at Yonkers Raceway. In addition to the finals, there will also be consolation races in both events.
Leonidas A (above) finished with the most points in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, but the draw for the final was not kind to him, as he will start from post seven in the eight-horse field. Austin Siegelman will be in the bike behind the Sheena Mcelhiney-trained and Jesmeral Stable-owned six-year-old Mach Three gelding.