Harness: Yonkers regulars becoming weekend warriors

Regardless of their place in the workforce, in order for a person to prosper they must relocate to the best opportunity in the field. When Yonkers Raceway made the decision to switch from racing on Saturday to Wednesday nights in 2021, it set about a chain reaction in the driving colony which reignited past experiences for some and created new ones for others.

Three of the four top drivers in the Yonkers standings as of March 21 are George Brennan, Dan Dube and Jason Bartlett, and each have made good use of the newfound time on the weekend to explore other options.

George Brennan, who has finished in the top 20 in earnings for drivers 24 out of the last 25 years (he missed over four months due to injury in 2008) and is closing in on 11,000 career wins, has been a Yonkers regular for the last decade. The 53-year-old sits atop the wins leaderboard at Yonkers with 66 wins (through 3/21), but lately has been visiting his old stomping grounds in New Jersey.

Brennan has already picked up five wins in 15 starts at the Meadowlands in 2021. Last year, the former Meadowlands driving champion made no appearances at the East Rutherford track during the first three months of the year.

"I've been coming down to drive for a few of my friends, and that's fine," said Brennan, who admits he is trying to limit has exposure to the right opportunities. "At this point in my life, I don't want to drive 10 also-rans. I don't want to drive 40-1 or 50-1 shots for checks every race."

While Brennan left the scene at the Meadowlands years ago for the more consistent five-nights-a-week schedule at Yonkers, the track still holds a special place in his heart.

"The place is magnificent. It still feels the same to win a race at the Meadowlands," said Brennan, who is certainly interested in picking up some stakes drives if the opportunity presents itself. "If Yonkers stays closed on Saturdays, it is definitely not out of the question. It frees me up to travel on Saturdays."

Dan Dube, who had the distinction of driving two Horse of the Year winners (Gallo Blue Chip and Rock N Roll Heaven) and has over 9,000 career victories, is another former regular at the Meadowlands who has returned in 2021. While the 51-year-old Quebec native loves the opportunity, he admits that he liked the old schedule a bit better.

"I used to like my Wednesdays off. Now I go six days in-a-row. It is tougher," said Dube, who has driven 73 horses to date at the Meadowlands in 2021, compared to none in 2020 over the same period.

Like Brennan, being available on a Saturday opens the door for Dube to get more involved in the Grand Circuit stakes schedule once again, but he is not counting on it.

"If it works out, good, if not, that is fine," said Dube, who is third at Yonkers this year with 36 wins. "You have to be with the right barn to get the right horse. You have to show up and train with them in the morning. I'm not a morning person, and I'm getting older now. That is for the young crew."

The Meadowlands isn't the only Saturday opportunity on the East Coast for drivers. Jason Bartlett, for years the mainstay at the top of the Yonkers standings and currently fourth with 33 wins, has been burning the match at both ends in 2021, racing Monday to Friday at Yonkers and Saturday to Monday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

"Right now there are no stakes going on, and the weather hasn't been great, so I've been keeping myself busy," said Bartlett, who we caught at the fast-food drive-thru while shuttling between Pocono and Yonkers on a Monday afternoon. "I've never been afraid of work. You just have to get yourself adjusted to it. What else am I going to do, sit home and take a nap?"

Doing double-duty has Bartlett not only on the Yonkers leaderboard but also at Pocono, where he won six races last weekend and has moved into fourth in the standings at the Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, oval. Bartlett admits he is still adjusting to driving regularly at Pocono.

"There is a lot more action at Pocono. The track is very nice. It is a different group of guys, but so far I really like it," said Bartlett, who also hopes that his presence catches him some luck on the stakes front. "A lot of stakes horses come through here to qualify or race. Last year I picked up King James Express and won the New York Sire Stakes final with him."

Joe Bongiorno, seventh in the Yonkers standings, has been filling up his Saturdays with double duty between Pocono and the Meadowlands. On March 20 he was in Pennsylvania from the opener at 12:34 p.m. and stayed through the final race at 4:10 p.m. He then got in his car and hightailed it 120 miles over to the Meadowlands in time for its first race at 6:31 p.m.

"I was driving along pretty good," joked Bongiorno. "I fueled up the car before the races, got in the car in my colors, and made it to the Meadowlands at about 6:05 or 6:10.

"Right now I only have Sunday off and soon (Harrah's Philadelphia) will be opening. I'll have to find a day during the week to take off, probably Tuesday or Wednesday."

Bongiorno has already made 113 starts at the Meadowlands in 2021, compared to just 22 through the first three months of 2020. The 27-year-old realizes the importance of being at the Meadowlands on Saturday.

"It's good to be at the Meadowlands on a Saturday, and this past week I was there Friday, too. With the Matchmaker going on (at Yonkers), I figured there would be more work available, and I got a bunch of drives," said Bongiorno, who understands his presence at the Meadowlands on Saturday provides additional chances for stakes drives. "I usually get a bunch from Ronnie (Burke) and Tony (Alagna), but just being there on a Saturday gives you the chance to get lucky and pick something up."

With a number of tracks currently racing in the Northeast and more like Harrah's Philadelphia (Chester) and Plainridge Park scheduled to open in the coming weeks, coupled with the imminent return of 3-year-old stakes horses to the track, spring is a great time to be a driver. With an open day on the calendar, a full tank of gas and perhaps some fast food between tracks, anything is possible.