Yonkers: Best Chip, Up Your Deo prevail in Aria, Bob Miecuna Invitationals

Best Chip and driver-trainer Joe Bongiorno followed up an impressive victory in the Canadian Pacing Derby a week earlier with an inspiring front-end performance, holding on gamely to capture the $200,000 Grade 2 Aria Invitational as part of Saturday's International Trot Day program at MGM Yonkers Raceway, pacing to a 2:20 4/5 clocking in the mile and one quarter contest.

A 4-year-old by Heston Blue Chip, Best Chip turned back a solid late rally by Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) with Go Go Grasshopper finishing third.

With 10 horses doing battle, Coaches Corner and Sweet Beach Life stepped out from the outside of the starting gate while Go Go Grasshopper and Yannick Gingras sped out ahead of Best Chip into the opening bend. Go Go Grasshopper cleared the front but ceded control to Coaches Corner before the 27 4/5 opening fraction. Bongiorno had Best Chip in motion coming off the opening bend and hustled the favorite to control before the field reached the second turn.

Best Chip was in full command with fractions of 56 2/5 and 1:25 3/5 for the second and third quarters before Sweet Beach Life and Matt Kakaley made a second and bold move to engage the leader, followed at a distance by Mossdale Ben N and Jim Marohn Jr. The pace picked up in the fourth quarter, with Best Chip clicking off the mile in 1:52 4/5 and putting an end to a long winning streak of Sweet Beach Life.

The final turn would set up the confrontation as Coaches Corner and Bartlett looked to come to the outside while Go Go Grasshopper went inside. Bongiorno wasn’t taking chances, as he roused his horse vigorously coming into the stretch, and Best Chip battled gamely, holding off Coaches Corner by a long nose with a 28 second flat final quarter.

El Dorado Stables owns Best Chip, now a winner nine times in 15 starts this year who was bred by Winbak Farm of Maryland. As the favorite, Best Chip returned $3.10 to win and keyed an $11.90 exacta and a $45.88 trifecta.

"He's just a special horse," said Bongiorno following the victory. "I had a feeling going into the race that the extra quarter mile wouldn't hurt this horse."

Bongiorno added that the Dayton Pacing Derby was next for Best Chip and ultimately a supplemental entry for the Breeders Crown would follow.

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It was déjà vu all over again, as Yogi Berra might say, when Up Your Deo and Ake Svanstedt matched almost identically the performance he put on in the 2025 edition of the Robert Miecuna Invitational (Grade 2) with his effort in the $200,000 event on Saturday. Up Your Deo marched to the front, controlled the fractions and covered the mile and a quarter in 2:23 2/5, the exact time of his conquest a year ago. Southwind Coors and Yannick Gingras tried to track him down in the stretch but fell short while bearing out as My Degenerate held third after sitting in that position throughout.

The Miecuna marked the return of Devilish Hill to competitive racing in the United States, and he was sent off as the 6-5 favorite for the dynamic driver-trainer connection of Jason Bartlett and Petter Engblom, but the pair was unable to contend through the 27 2/5 opening quarter as Up Your Deo marched around him rapidly on the opening bend to secure the lead and Bartlett took a tuck inside. The veteran international performer Aetors Kronos S also pushed out sharply and found a seat early.

Up Your Deo rated the pace kindly, hitting the half in 56 1/5 and three-quarters in 1:25 1/5 but increased the pace when Bartlett pulled Devilish Hill first-over prior to the latter marker. In the critical fourth quarter, Svanstedt guided Up Your Deo through a 28 1/5 quarter, and that stalled any progress on the outer tier heading into the final bend.

With just two horses on his back, Svanstedt called on Up Your Deo, and the 6-year-old on of Walner responded with a 30 second final quarter, holding on to the lead with Southwind Coors gaining but bearing out at the same time. My Degenerate wound up third and Benjamin Hanover would finish fourth, with Devilish Hill fifth after the overland journey.

Bred and co-owned by Deo Volente Farms, Up Your Deo is also co-owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Suleyman Yuksel Stables and Van Camp Trotting Corp. It was the second win of the year for Up Your Deo and pushed his career bankroll to $1,371,852. As the second choice in the wagering, Up Your Deo paid $6.20 to win and keyed a $49.24 exacta with Southwind Coors. The trifecta returned $219.22.

"Six was maybe not perfect," said Sarah Svanstedt of the draw. "But he's very fast."

In addition to two Miecuna Invitational victories, Up Your Deo also captured the MGM Yonkers Trot final in 2023.

--press release (Yonkers)--