It's My Show Steals The Spotlight In Little Brown Jug

September 22, 2023

Hunterton Born and Raised It's My Show stole the spotlight as the Linda Toscano trainee caught Seven Colors right at the wire to win the 78th edition of the Little Brown Jug, which featured a record $1 million purse for this Triple Crown event, on Thursday, Sept. 21 at Delaware County Fair.

Three-year-old pacing gelding It's My Show completed a Jug-Jugette sweep for Toscano and driver Scott Zeron after Ucandoit Blue Chip took the filly companion event on Wednesday for the duo.

"This has been a pretty good week," said an emotional Toscano in the winner's circle. "I don't know, this has been a race that's eluded me and a race that I've wanted for so long that I'm a little choked up, as you can see."

With the inside post advantage in $850,000 Little Brown Jug final featuring one trailer in a field of nine, Moment Is Here (Tim Tetrick) established the lead over Ken Hanover (David Miller) while their fellow elimination winner Cannibal (Yannick Gingras) pressed forward off the gate to their outside.

Cannibal went head-to-head with Moment Is Here through a sizzling :25.4 opening quarter, but was left parked out as the latter elim winner refused to give way on top.

Moment Is Here completed the first lap, leading to the half in :53.3 while 2-1 favourite Seven Colors (Dexter Dunn) moved up second-over behind Cannibal with eventual winner It's My Show spotted third-over after getting away sixth in the early going.

As Moment Is Here continued to lead the charge down the backstretch to three-quarters in 1:22 with Cannibal beginning to tire, Dunn sent half-mile track world champion Seven Colors three-wide to pick up the chase and took over command turning for home with It's My Show chasing off his cover and getting up on the line in 1:49 flat to steal the spotlight. Finishing 2-1/2 lengths behind, Ken Hanover, fresh off a 1:48.4 track record mile in his Jug elimination, took third over Moment Is Here.

It's My Show was sent postward at odds of 7-1 after finishing second to Cannibal in one of the three $50,000 elimination heats earlier in the afternoon and returned $16 to win.

"When you add in a trailer, it changes everything about a race," said Zeron when asked about his off-the-pace strategy. "Yannick timed the gate great going out of there and that made it easy for me to not try to leave. And honestly, I've been in the postion he was in, which is when you commit to the leave but there's no give and goes, you're two-hole goes by pretty quick. So when David closed up the hole, it was just tough for him.

"They were going at it [up front], but I was still way out of it. I needed a lot of things to go right and Seven Colors raced sensational, my guy just put his nose out."

It's My Show went over the million-dollar mark in career earnings for owners Richard Young of Boca Raton, Florida and Joanna Young of Coconut Creek, Florida.

The homebred Sweet Lou gelding out the champion Rocknroll Hanover mare, Put On A Show, is now nine-for-13 this year after going winless in eight starts as a freshman.

It's also been a year to remember for Zeron, who won his first Jug 11 years ago with the Casie Coleman-trained Micheals Power. It's My Show also gave the reinsman his second career victory in the $1 million North America Cup earlier this year at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

"There's been a lot of people that have been a big part of it," said Zeron. "This horse has made some amazing races for us."

The connections are hoping there's more to come with It's My Show, with plans to race next during the second week of The Red Mile's Grand Circuit stakes meet.

The Little Brown Jug is the third jewel in the Pacing Triple Crown. The first legs were won by Captain Batboy (Messenger Stakes) and Confederate (Cane Pace).

Recaps of the Jug elimination heats follow with coverage of the undercard available by clicking here.

Field Set For Little Brown Jug

Canadian-based three-year-old pacing gelding Moment Is Here kicked off the elimination heats for the 78th edition of the Little Brown Jug on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 21) at Delaware County Fair.

Picking up the catch drive, Tim Tetrick used the Bob McIntosh homebred's gate speed to establish the lead off the gate. Leaving from post five, Moment Is Here took command in the first turn and never looked back. The All Bets Off-Breathtacular gelding led through fractions of :26, :54 and 1:22.1 while shrugging off the first-over 4-5 favourite, Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton), and opening up in the stretch for the 1:50.1 victory. Hungry Angel Boy (Todd McCarthy) followed in the pocket and held on for second while Blue Hunt (Andrew McCarthy) got up for third along the pylons off a ground-saving trip, finishing just ahead of Loubet (David Miller), who rallied three-wide down the backside.

"I've never driven the horse. I went off what the connections said and watched his replays and they kept telling me he's as quick as a cat," said Tetrick. "He was pretty quick off the car; we jumped out of there good. It was a strong quarter of :26, but we got to control it from there and it was a good race for him.

"He did put in a long step [in the first turn], but we were smoking pretty hard. I wanted to try to get there and get control and that way I could get around Todd [McCarthy and Hungry Angel Boy] in the first turn.

"He was really good, paced all the way to the wire, would've gone more if I needed to but we're going for a lot of money and we've got to save what we can."

Making his stateside debut following a Grand Circuit stakes runner-up finish in the Simcoe on Sept. 9 at his home track of Woodbine Mohawk Park, Moment Is Here was sent postward at odds of 5-1 and returned $12.80 to his backers.

The win was his fourth of the season from 16 starts and his sixth career victory, bumping his bankroll to $472,589.

Moment Is Here is owned by Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, Ont., Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington, Ont., Mardon Stables of Loretto, Ont., and Frank Baldachino of Harvey Cedars, New Jersey.

According to reports from Delaware County Fair, McIntosh was unable to attend today's races after sustaining a hip injury.

Ken Hanover hasn't been staked to some of the bigger events for three-year-old male pacers in 2023, but the sophomore pacer etched his name into the Delaware County Fair record books with the fastest mile ever paced in the Little Brown Jug by picking off half-mile track world champion Seven Colors in the second $50,000 Little Brown Jug elimination.

David Miller sat off the hot early pace, positioned in fifth as Thunder Hunter Joe (Tim Tetrick) set early fractions of :26.1 and :54 before favoured Seven Colors (Dexter Dunn) started his first-over forge. Miller followed Dunn's helmet with Ken Hanover, and kept as close as he could through a 1:21.3 third quarter and around the far turn. In the stretch, Miller asked his colt with Seven Colors appearing to have the win wrapped up. Ken Hanover obliged, closing with a late spurt to edge past Seven Colors in the final strides of a 1:48.4 track record mile. Thunder Hunter Joe stayed for third.

Roland 'Polie' Mallar trains and co-owns Ken Hanover (Captaintreacherous - KJs Justine) along with Patrick Leavitt of Buxton, Maine, William Jordan of Fryeberg, Maine, and 'Big Dee' Dennis Osterholt of Boyton Beach, Florida.

"He's always been a real good horse, and just like everybody else [Mallar] wanted to come to Delaware," said Miller in the winner's circle.

"I followed Dexter right up and I was thinking at the head of the stretch, 'I'm going to be second here.' I moved him off his back, and gave him a yell and he shot, like he just took off. I was really happy with him."

The win provided Ken Hanover with a new lifetime mark in his 11th lifetime victory, pushing his career earnings over the $410,000 mark. He paid $11.40 to win.

Cannibal delivered on his 4-5 pari-mutuel promise as a persistent leader in the third elimination heat with Yannick Gingras aboard for trainer Nancy Takter.

Leaving from the inside posts, Cannibal was quickest off the gate for Gingras with even-money It's My Show (Scott Zeron) following in second, but Bamboozler (Tony Hall) left hard from post five to make front over the favourites. His lead was short-lived though as Gingras retook command at the quarter pole in :26.2. The bettors' choice stole a second quarter breather to the half in :55.2 and continued to lead the field in single-file fashion to three-quarters in 1:22.2, where It's My Show took his shot but couldn't catch Cannibal through the stretch. Cannibal held clear of It's My Show down the lane for the 1:49.1 victory by 1-1/2 lengths while Redwood Hanover (James MacDonald) finished third.

"This is an interesting race to race in becase post positions are so important going into the eliminations, so obviously when we drew the rail, I was ecstatic about that because you're going to have more of an opportunity to control your own destiny," commented Takter after the race.

"The post position draw for the final is going to be important again, but hopefully we'll draw well. I think my colt should bounce back really well and have plenty left in the tank."

This year's Adios champion came into the eliminations off back-to-back Kentucky stakes victories and paid $3.80 to win. Cannibal improved to nine-for-11 on the season and now has a dozen wins lifetime with $469,978 earned.

The homebred Sweet Lou-No More Losses colt is owned by Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, Pennsylvania.

Stockade Seelster was scratched from the third elimination.

Post positions for the Little Brown Jug final are listed below. Elimination winners drew for posts one through three for the final. Second-place finishers drew for posts four through six and third-place finishers drew for spots seven through nine.

$850,000 Little Brown Jug
Post - Horse - Driver
1. Moment Is Here - Tim Tetrick
2. Ken Hanover - David Miller
3. Cannibal - Yannick Gingras
4. Seven Colors - Dexter Dunn
5. It's My Show - Scott Zeron
6. Hungry Angel Boy - Todd McCarthy
7. Blue Hunt - Andrew McCarthy
8. Redwood Hanover - James MacDonald
9. Thunder Hunter Joe - Jordan Stratton

Watch The Little Brown Jug

The 78th edition of the $1 million Little Brown Jug for three-year-old pacers headlines Thursday's 25-race card at the Delaware County Fair and live streaming of all the action will be available.

The $850,000 Little Brown Jug final will cap off the action-packed afternoon as Race 24 on the main wagering card, featuring the top three finishers from three elimination heats contested earlier in the day (Races 19, 20 & 21).

Voukefalas is the 2-1 morning line favourite with the inside draw in the first elimination with Jordan Stratton driving for trainer Michael Russo.

Thunder Hunter Joe is the early 5-2 favourite from the pylon post in the second elimination for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Nicholas Devita. The second elimination includes the Canadian-campaigned Huntinthelastdolar and Burnout, both supplemented for $45,000.

It's My Show is the 9-5 favourite in the third elimination for trainer Linda Toscano with Scott Zeron driving from post position two. The field includes Canadian-based contender Redwood Hanover. O'Brien Award winner Stockade Seelster has been scratched.

The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association will present a live stream of Thursday's action, which will begin at 11 a.m. Post time for the first non-betting race is 11 a.m., with the main wagering card starting at 11:30 a.m. The live stream will be available below.

A majority of the Jug Day card will be broadcast on Fox Sports 2 as a part of its “America’s Day at the Races,” produced by the New York Racing Association (NYRA). The broadcast window will be from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. and will feature Delaware’s Races 18-24.

For free program pages, click the following links: Non-Betting Program / Main Program

The complete fields for the elimination heats are listed below in post position order.

$50,000 Little Brown Jug Elimination #1 - Race 19
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Voukefalas - Jordan Stratton - Michael Russo - 2-1
2. Loubet - David Miller - Ron Burke - 5-1
3. Hungry Angel Boy - Todd McCarthy - Tony Alagna - 9-2
4. Blue Hunt - Andrew McCarthy - Deborah Daguet - 6-1
5. Moment Is Here - Tim Tetrick - Bob McIntosh - 4-1
6. Ants Matching - Dexter Dunn - Nancy Takter - 9-2

$50,000 Little Brown Jug Elimination #2 - Race 20
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Thunder Hunter Joe - Tim Tetrick - Nicholas Devita - 5-1
2. Huntinthelastdolar - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair - 3-1
3. Ervin Hanover - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 6-1
4. Ken Hanover - David Miller - Roland Mallar - 5-1
5. Burnout - Sam Widger - Todd Luther - 9-2
6. Seven Colors - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris - 7-2

$50,000 Little Brown Jug Elimination #3 - Race 21
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. Cannibal - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter - 2-1
2. It's My Show - Scott Zeron - Linda Toscano - 9-5
3. Redwood Hanover - James MacDonald - Anthony Beaton - 4-1
4. Stockade Seelster - David Miller - Dr. Ian Moore - 7-2 - Scratched
5. Bamboozler - Tony Hall - Virgil Morgan Jr. - 8-1
6. Bugaboo Lou - Chris Page - Ron Burke - 20-1

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Hunterton Farms: Birthplace of Champions

January 4, 2025

Allegiant Tactical Landing - Too Good For You 2, 1:52.2; 3, 1:51.1f-’24 ($1,043,347) Hunterton bred, raised and sold

Hunterton Bred, Born & Sold Allegiant almighty in Breeders Crown victory

October 27, 2024

East Rutherford, NJ — Breeders Crown elimination winner Allegiant, with Scott Zeron in the bike again, won the $600,000 Breeders Crown 3-year-old filly trot at The Meadowlands on Saturday (Oct. 26), crossing the finish in a personal-best and stakes-record-equaling 1:51.1. Zeron fired his filly off the gate and took the lead easily enough, but R Melina was looking to avenge losing her elimination and overtook Allegiant for the lead in a soft :27.4 first panel. Willys Home Run took safe cover behind the first two with Elista Hanover behind them in fourth. Nothing changed as R Melina guided the field to a :55.4 half, but Elista Hanover took to the outside to chase, giving cover to elim-winner Drawn Impression while the top two rolled towards three-quarters in 1:23.2. Zeron’s filly had tons of trot saved from the catbird-seat journey when he sent her mid-track to use that saved energy for a convincing challenge to win and defeat R Melina by 2-1/4 lengths. Elista Hanover took the third spot with Drawn Impression in fourth and Warrawee Michelle closing from last for fifth. Even though it was a smooth trip, Zeron said, “It shows how tough she really is.” The win by the daughter of Tactical Landing , from the Yankee Glide mare Too Good For You, puts her on the edge of being a millionaire with $933,197 in her wallet lifetime. Bred by Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve H. Stewart and owned by Ryan W. Smith, Allegiant scored her 10th win in 25 starts over two seasons. Zeron scored his eighth Breeders Crown trophy with his second-straight win driving Allegiant. “I was happy to sit in the second spot,” he said after the race. “She shows me no emotion (when we race).” He also praised trainer Linda Toscano, who won her ninth Breeders Crown trophy and first in this division, for how the filly has been handled. Allegiant matched the stakes record set in 2022 by Jiggy Jog S with the win and paid $6.00 to win.

Steely Knife upsets, Better Is Nice delivers in Bluegrass colt pace

September 28, 2024

Steely Knife and Better Is Nice both powered first over and persevered to win in their respective divisions of the $197,000 Captaintreacherous Bluegrass Stakes, for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 28) at The Red Mile. Steely Knife (Dexter Dunn) built momentum from a first-over push and rolled home a 1:52.2 winner in the first division of the Captaintreacherous Bluegrass Stakes. Dunn slid to the pylons to race fourth to a :28.3 first quarter cut by Cupid Shuffle (Yannick Gingras), who Gingras tried to wrangle back despite coasting to a :56 half. Steely Knife started to gather speed moving for the final turn and angled off the pylons, vaulting forward as Cupid Shuffle raced on fumes by three-quarters in 1:23. Cupid Shuffle promptly folded while Steely Knife powered forward and held firm from late rallying Mccrunch (Andy McCarthy), who sat an antsy pocket and burst through an inside seam to challenge late. Mccrunch had to settle for second, beaten a neck, while Captain Luke (Scott Zeron) — the 3-2 favorite — saved ground throughout and held third. Trained by Ron Burke, Steely Knife has now won six races from 29 career starts and banked $264,097 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Phil Collura and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. The Always B Miki colt paid $27.90 to win.

Jiggy Jog S romps at Hollywood Dayton

September 28, 2024

Jiggy Jog S headed to Saturday’s stakes action at Hollywood Dayton Raceway with top billing, and the sport’s highest-ranked stars did not disappoint. In the Dayton Oaks, Dunn methodically guided Jiggy Jog S to the front as Call Me Goo and M-M’s Dream were part of a three-horse battle with Pioneer As for the lead in the opening quarter, which Call Me Goo reached in :27.1 by a nose over M-M’s Dream. The Ake Svanstedt-trained Jiggy Jog S, though, was in front soon thereafter and never looked back, reaching the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.3. Call Me Goo finished second and M-M’s Dream was third. Unbeaten in six races this season, Jiggy Jog S has won 24 of 41 career starts and earned $3.1 million. The 5-year-old mare became the 16th trotter in history to exceed $3 million in North American purses with Saturday’s victory. She is ranked No. 2 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll. Jiggy Jog S is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Steve Stewart, John Lengacher, and Hickory Hollow Stables. The daughter of Walner -Hot Mess Hanover was bred by Vestmarka AB.

Jiggy Jog S leads big Grand Circuit night in Dayton

September 26, 2024

Harness racing’s two highest ranked horses in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, No. 1 Twin B Joe Fresh and No. 2 Jiggy Jog S , will be in action Saturday at Hollywood Dayton Raceway and, as usual, Dexter Dunn will have a great seat to watch them go. Jiggy Jog S, who is 5-for-5 this season, has been ranked no lower than No. 6 in the 15 weeks of this year’s poll. She has been No. 2 for three consecutive weeks. She enters the Dayton Oaks off a Sept. 7 win in the million-dollar MGM Yonkers International Trot, where she defeated Periculum by 3-1/2 lengths at the distance of 1-1/4 miles. “She was awesome,” Dunn said. “She couldn’t have done it much easier. I know we got pretty good fractions, but she just felt awesome.” A three-week layoff since the International Trot should not pose a problem for Jiggy Jog S, who is trained by Ake Svanstedt and accustomed to such a schedule. On Aug. 3, she won the John Cashman Memorial in a rainstorm at The Meadowlands in a stakes- and track-record 1:49.2 off a five-week respite. Only two female trotters in history, Manchego and Atlanta, have gone faster. “She’s very athletic,” Dunn said. “It’s not like she needs a lot of racing to become fit. She’s pretty naturally fit, I think. That’s the way they train her.” Jiggy Jog S, the 2023 Dan Patch Award winner for best older female trotter, has hit the board in 35 of 40 career races, winning 23 and earning $2.97 million. The daughter of Walner -Hot Mess Hanover is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Steve Stewart, John Lengacher, and Hickory Hollow Stables. Dunn and Jiggy Jog S will leave from post six in the nine-horse field, which also includes millionaires M-M’s Dream and Refined. Jiggy Jog S won last year’s edition of the Dayton Oaks, a victory that launched her current win streak.

Maryland romps to Mohawk Million Triumph

September 22, 2024

Maryland powered home to take all the spoils in the Mohawk Million, putting an exclamation point on a stellar Saturday stakes night at Woodbine Mohawk Park for driver Dexter Dunn. After taking the inside track, literally, to impressive victories in the $347,000 Elegantimage (with three-year-old trotting filly French Champagne) and $713,000 Canadian Trotting Classic (with three-year-old trotting colt Amazing Catch), Dunn engineered a different trip, but produced the same result, in the $1 million Mohawk Million for two-year-old trotters. Meshuggah (Scott Zeron) blasted off the wings and took the lead heading into the first turn, followed by Lookatmegoamigo (Jody Jamieson), Go Ahead Makemyday (David Miller) and Lasting Dream (Bob McClure), while Maryland sat an unfettered sixth through an opening panel in :27.1. It was status quo on the front end through a half in a tepid :56.2, as Dunn continued to hold a patient hand on the 4-5 choice, positioned seventh at that point. Meshuggah was still on top through three-quarters in 1:24.3, as Lasting Dream looked to ratchet up the pressure. Monalishi (James MacDonald) arrived on the scene in third, while Maryland, improving to fourth, was five lengths off the leader, but full of trot and rolling to the outside. Maryland, whose slot owner for the Million was Hunterton Farm, began to methodically pick off his rivals down the lane, blasting to the front with ease en route to a sharp 3-1/2-length score after a :27.1 final quarter. Lasting Dream was second, Meshuggah third, Onajetplane (Andrew McCarthy) fourth and Emoticon Legacy (Louis-Philippe Roy) fifth. The final time was a stakes, track and Canadian record of 1:52.3. Maryland bested the former track and Canadian record for two-year-old male trotters set by 2017 William Wellwood Memorial winner Alarm Detector by one-fifth of a second. “He was pretty aggressive tonight,” said Dunn when asked about gapping the gate tonight. “He hasn't really been like that before and the horse outside was pretty fired up on the gate too and there was a bit going on, but we had a little bobble there before the gate left, but he luckily kept his gait. We still got away in a pretty decent position, and just around the last turn, I nearly lost him there for a bit, but he got himself up. “I was still confident, especially coming off the last turn, and he was close enough that he's fast enough.” For the son of Chapter Seven-Crucial, who won the $575,000 William Wellwood Stakes on Aug. 24 and the $527,027 Peter Haughton Memorial on Sept. 13, it was the third straight command performance and biggest payday of his career. “He’s probably the smartest colt I've been around,” said trainer Marcus Melander, who also won the 2022 Mohawk Million with Oh Well. “He wants to do his work. Then, you never know how much the other horses have left, but if he has the position to win when they're turning from home, he’ll win.” With Saturday’s win, Maryland is now 4-1-1 from seven starts, to go along with nearly $1.1 million in lifetime earnings. “I think pretty much when he was racing at the Meadowlands early, he just showed so much talent,” said Steve Stewart of Hunterton Farm. “And that last sixteenth [of a mile], he always just seems to accelerate. There was one race early that I think a horse came up on him and it looked like he was going to go right by him, and he just wouldn't let him go, and it seems like he's very versatile. “Marcus has been saying that the one thing that separates him from a lot of horses is he's so intelligent.” Maryland, owned by Courant Inc., PCW Racing, Holly Lane Stud East and Sstewartrthorn Stable, will head home to the Garden State the newly minted Million champion. "We will ship him back home to New Jersey and prepare him for the Breeders Crown, since he won last week and he's already eligible for the finals,” noted Melander. “So, that will be his next race, probably. Maybe, we'll do a qualifier in between, but that's what we're waiting for right now.” Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, the bay colt, who won his debut at The Meadowlands on June 28, was a $475,000 purchase at the 2023 Lexington Select Yearling Sale. Maryland paid $3.90 for the win. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park . (With files from Woodbine)

Vic Zelenskyy wins again at The Red Mile

September 17, 2024

Hunterton Born, Raised & Sold, VIC ZELENSKYY (Greenshoe - Mission Brief ) won the Kentucky Gold Rod Series 3YO Colts & Geldings at The Red Mile. Congratulations to owners S R F Stable, Holly Lane Stud East Ltd and trainer Marcus Melander and driver Dexter Dunn.

It’s My Show returns in style at Red Mile

September 10, 2024

Lexington, NY — On Tuesday (Sept. 10), at the Red Mile, Canadian Pacing Derby and 2023 Little Brown Jug winner It’s My Show used a blistering final quarter mile to defeat El Rey in 1:49.2 in the $35,000 third leg of the Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) series for 4-year-old male pacers. It’s My Show (Scott Zeron) left from post position three and landed in fifth in the field of eight while the speedy El Rey (Andy Miller) assumed command right from the beginning of the mile. The public’s third choice clicked off fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:22.4 while It’s My Show moved into fourth at the three-quarter pole. As the field rounded the final bend, It’s My Show began to uncork his rally in the drive for the finish line and was positioned in third behind pocket sitter Speaking Volumes (Tony Hall). El Rey had the jump on It’s My Show, but the Linda Toscano trainee came storming over the red clay with a final quarter of :25.4 to best El Rey by a half length. Speaking Volumes was third. It’s My Show, a son of Sweet Lou -Put On A Show, competes as a homebred for Richard and Joanne Young. He now sports a resume of 36-12-8-3 with $1.48 million in the bank. He paid $2.72 to win.

Hey Porter wins big at Harrahs Philadelphia

September 8, 2024

On Sunday (September 8) afternoon, Harrah’s Philadelphia hosted the $320,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series Championships for all eight stakes divisions, separated by age/sex, and gait. Each group of Pennsylvania-sired horses went for $40,000 in their respective Championship. The Bar Hopping – Chelsees A Winner gelding Hey Porter (Tyler Buter) had the biggest win margin of the day, four lengths, in winning for trainer Tony Alagna, and owner Steve Stewart. The Greenshoe – Firm To Stay miss Saints Preserve Us (Tetrick) has known nothing but Stallion Series action to date and thus is perfect after four career races, winning by a half-length over Pink Whiskey (Brady Brown), for trainer Jim Campbell, and Runthetable Stables.

Ari Ferrari J burns rubber in Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot

September 7, 2024

Yonkers, NY — Ari Ferrari J was the winner of Saturday (September 7) afternoon’s $250,000 Bob Miecuna Invitational for older trotters at MGM Yonkers Raceway after he covered the mile and a sixteenth distance in 2:00.4. With his share of the purse, Ari Ferrari J went past the $1 million mark in lifetime earnings. After showing some speed from post two, driver Jason Bartlett wheeled Ari Ferrari J to the outside in the early stages from third and made his way by early leader Cecil Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) past the :29 second opening quarter. Ari Ferrari J never faced a serious threat from there, as he glided through panels of :57.4 and 1:26 on his way to the win by two lengths. Cecil Hanover checked in second over Take All Comers (Jordan Stratton) and favored M-M’s Dream (David Miller) advanced from eighth to fourth. Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn) collected fifth. “Being off the inside there, the gate kind of takes off on us and at times you can just give them their head a little bit and they’ll try to switch gears and run,” explained Bartlett. “So, I was more worried about just getting him off on the right foot and then just taking the race how it came. Only a couple left, so I was actually in a really good spot going into the first turn. “He won so easy last time out of the hole, and I was very excited when I saw he was in this race today. He had a start over the track and I kind of knew him at the Meadowlands and loved him there and loved him last week. We actually drew a good spot and he didn’t disappoint.” Tony Alagna trains Ari Ferrari J, a 4-year-old son of Walner bred by M Biasuzzi Stable Inc., for owner Ken Jacobs. Ari Ferrari J is an 11-time victor from 39 starts, has earned $1,014,931 and paid $16 to win as a 7-1 offering. The exacta was $156.50 and the trifecta was worth $2,841.