Yonkers: Bourbonista gets first MGM Yonkers International Trot invite

In just over eight weeks (Sept. 12), some of the best trotters in the world will gather at MGM Yonkers Raceway for the $1,000,000 G1 MGM Yonkers International Trot. While the complete field won’t be known for some time, Bourbonista S will be one of the 10 invitees after accepting an invitation from track management.

“We were just happy to get the invitation,” said co-owner Jens Glud Hansen, who races under the banner of Panamera Racing, an homage to the popular Porsche sports car.

Hansen is no stranger to racing in the MGM Yonkers International Trot as his Kennedy finished fifth in the event back in 2022. It will, however, be co-owner Michael Gulotta’s (Deo Volente Farms LLC) first taste of the race.

“I feel very blessed to own a horse like her,” said Gulotta.

Hansen owns the Selected Sales auction company in Denmark and suggested to Gulotta that Bourbonista S would be a wise purchase. He agreed and the 50/50 partnership was made after purchasing the horse for approximately $200,000 USD.

“She was a good horse in Scandinavia and was second and third to Allegiant as a 4-year-old,” said Hansen. “I said to Mike, ‘I think she can go 1:50 or maybe even 1:49 on a good day at the Red Mile.’”

As it turns out, Hansen’s prediction fell well short of Bourbonista S’s capability. In the Six Pack on July 4 at The Meadowlands, the 5-year-old daughter of Face Time Bourbon displayed speed at both ends of the mile en route to a 1:48 4/5 victory with Dexter Dunn in the bike. The final time made her the fastest trotting mare in North American history.

Trainer Marcus Melander, who got the horse at the start of 2026 after some lackluster results in another U.S. barn, pointed out how he tapped into Bourbonista S’s raw pool of ability.

“It took about five or six weeks until she really turned things around and we could start training on the sand track and in the deep sand. When she really turned the corner and started taking to her training well, she got stronger and stronger,” said Melander, who added that the decision to remove her shoes made a huge difference in her performance.

Bourbonista S raced without shoes for the first time on May 23 over a sloppy track at The Meadowlands and finished second. Since then she has won two stakes races (Six Pack and Armbro Flight), both impressively by more than three lengths.

Despite being a big filly according to Melander, Bourbonista S wears very little equipment and he expects her to get around the smaller Yonkers Raceway oval without issue. The trainer also feels that the track surface should be conducive to sticking with the “no shoes” protocol.

“I'd say the track's been good there when I’ve shown up for Sire Stakes and [International Trot] day they usually have the track really good,” said Melander.

Bourbonista S, who was bred in Denmark to a Swedish-registered mare, will represent Sweden in the MGM Yonkers International Trot. She owns a 7-3-2-1 record and has earned $158,240 in 2026. Her upcoming schedule includes the Miss Versatility on August 1 and Dr. John R. Steele Memorial on August 8 at The Meadowlands.

Invitations are in the works to fill out the 10-horse field for the MGM Yonkers International Trot and more horses will be announced in the coming days and weeks. The race will be the focal point of a stellar card on September 12 that starts at 11:50 a.m. (EDT) and includes the $2.4 million New York Sire Stakes finals for 2- and 3-year-olds as well as a pair of $200,000 Invitationals – Bob Miecuna Trot and Aria Pace.

MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Friday racing schedule with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

-Yonkers Raceway Media