Yonkers: Bartlett seeks Triple Crown sweep on Friday

For defending driver of the year Jason Bartlett, being on the road has become more commonplace. The days of just racing at Yonkers and dominating are over as Bartlett spent the first half of the week at Oak Grove competing in the lucrative Kentucky program. He went to Buffalo on Wednesday for New York Sire Stakes and hopes to end his week on a high note, competing in a pair of Triple Crown events at his home track.

To no surprise, Bartlett will pilot the favorite Spencer Hanover in the $250,000 Grade 2 MGM Yonkers Trot, as well as a horse that could be favored in the $200,000 Grade 2 MGM Grand Messenger, Fragment.

Spencer Hanover, a Chapter Seven-sired colt trained by Marcus Melander, got into high gear last fall, capturing the Breeders Crown for Bartlett at Woodbine Mohawk Park. He's returned in brilliant form in 2026, annexing the initial $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby for Bartlett in May and more recently taking the $176K Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon Downs in a 1:54 3/5 mile that didn't look all that imposing.

"He gets relaxed on the front-end," said Bartlett. "I don't even think he saw that horse on the far outside."

The time of the mile or margin of victory was not of concern to Bartlett, who understands the horse intimately. Since Bartlett took over the driving duties behind Spencer Hanover last October, the horse has only lost twice.

"He's only got beaten on the mile track when he's been on the front-end," said Bartlett, indicating that on both occasions Spencer Hanover was not tired.

In Friday's Yonkers Trot over a half-mile track and going a distance of one-and-one-quarter miles, Bartlett's skill will certainly be tested and whether Spencer Hanover sees the front at any time in the mile remains a mystery.

"A lot is going to depend on how hard the horse in front of us leaves," said Bartlett, who landed post nine from the second tier in a field of 10 and thus may have limited options at the outset.

Spencer Hanover's Breeders Crown victory last year came from off-the-pace, and the driver is optimistic his horse will be able to navigate the track and distance.

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"I'm sure Marcus (Melander) will have him ready," said Bartlett, referring to the conditioner who will be searching for his fourth Yonkers Trot win, having won most recently last year with another son of Chapter Seven named Super Chapter.

With lucrative races still ahead, Spencer Hanover hopes to add to his $1.04 million career bank account against nine rivals, and not only must overcome the post draw but a pair of solid colts from that first tier that he raced against in the Oak Grove Derby. Trainer Matt Burkholder brings Requiem (post three) and Silverstein (post four) in his first try at the Yonkers Trot.

"They've trained over the half-mile track their entire careers," said Burkholder of the pair. "Requiem was very sharp in his qualifier."

A son of Muscle Hill, Requiem finished third in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby in May and then captured a qualifier on June 9 at The Meadows in a brisk 1:53 2/5 mile.

"Silverstein has accomplished more so far," Burkholder said, drawing a distinction between his two contenders. "He was very strong at Tioga."

Silverstein enters the Yonkers Trot following a New York Sire Stakes win on June 5 for new driver Matt Kakaley, who subbed admirably for the recovering Hall of Famer Dave Miller, Silverstein's regular pilot.

Yonkers leading trainer Per Engblom loses Bartlett but picks up Dexter Dunn for Kingmen (post one), a son of Walner that has been racing competitively in New Jersey while drawing outside in his most recent starts.

Scott Zeron was named on both Inexpressable (post five) and Ardonne (post eight) and went for the latter, with Tim Tetrick picking up the drive on Inexpressable for trainer Lucas Wallin.

"He made a break when we raced him here in May," said Wallin. "But he hit a boot and it had nothing to do with the turns."

A son of Walner from the immediate family of Maryland, Inexpressable was an impressive 1:53 winner at Harrah's Philadelphia on June 4.

Ardonne was the winner of last year's Wellwood Memorial at Woodbine Mohawk Park but has only hit the board once in three tries in 2026.

Trainer Ake Svanstedt is also in search of his fourth Yonkers Trot win and has three of the 10 in the field, each with limited experience. Create Escape (post two) Secured (post six) and Nordic Dancer S (post 10) collectively have one victory in 10 tries this year.

The Ron Burke-trained AI rounds out the field from post seven. A five-time winner as a freshman, AI has finished second in two of his four appearances this year.

Burke is better represented in the eighth race Messenger, with three of the seven horses coming from his stable. Al Papi (post three) was most recently fourth in the North America Cup. Frantic Hanover (post four) earned $543K as a 2-year-old and is looking to bounce back to that form following a pair of qualifiers at The Meadows. Melillo (post seven) is a 1:48 4/5 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner this year at Harrah's Philadelphia that finished fifth in the North America Cup.

Bartlett will guide Fragment in the mile-and-one-quarter contest. "When I drove him at Buffalo (June 3) I knew he wasn't himself," said Bartlett. "Per (Engblom) discovered he was bleeding and put him on Lasix."

Fragment returned on June 19 at the Meadowlands and captured a qualifying race in 1:51 1/5. "He felt like he was back to his old self," said Bartlett of the Huntsville-sired colt that won nine times as a freshman, with the very first win coming in his career debut at Yonkers last June 19.

Rounding out the field for the MGM Grand Messenger are Mighty Matt (post one), Hunt Off The Press (post five) and Apocalypsebluechip (post six).

The Messenger and the Yonkers Trot are part of a 10-race card that starts at 6:45 p.m. (EDT) and also includes split divisions of filly companion stakes. The $55,000 Grade 3 New York New York Mile for 3-year-old filly trotters goes as races one and three, while the $50,000 Grade 3 Park MGM Filly Pace for sophomores goes to post in the second and fourth races.