Trainer Ron Burke's horses have captured four of the last five MGM Borgata Pacing Series finals at MGM Yonkers Raceway, and the sport's leading conditioner will be looking for his first three-peat when he sends out Hellabalou in the first of five $50,000 divisions in the opening round of the 2025 edition on Monday (March 31). Hellabalou was hardly a dominant horse when he competed in the Borgata in 2023 and 2024, but that didn't matter as he lit-up-the-board in winning the 2023 finale as a 47-1 outsider, and then came back last year with an equally-impressive score at odds of 11-1. Burke was mindful that Hellabalou could only make last year's final if things worked out perfectly in the final leg. "In the last leg he needed to finish second to reach the final," said Burke of Hellabalou's path in 2024. "Then he was just vicious in the final." Hellabalou went winless through the five preliminary legs in 2024 and won just one of the five legs the previous year, but like many Burke horses he just kept getting better with each week and would be at his best for the final. "I think what works best for him at Yonkers and in this series is that he's got unbelievable speed out of the gate," said Burke. "He can get himself in position and that's big in a series like this." In Monday's opening round of action, Hellabalou landed post seven, and that's not likely as big a handicap for him as it is for others. Yannick Gingras, who guided him to last year's title, will be in the bike as the 7-year-old son of Sweet Lou looks for his third straight win. "I would say that's probably the biggest difference this year is that he's much sharper coming into the series than in the previous two years," said Burke, pointing to the solid foundation Hellabalou has under him with the big races ahead. With almost $1.5 million banked through his career, Hellabalou is not the richest horse in the field he'll face on Monday. That honor goes to the warhorse Charlie May (post four) with nearly $2.3 million to his credit. Both 7-year-olds enjoyed success as sophomores and have added to their careers as older performers. Charlie May prepped for the Borgata with a 1:49 1/5 win at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on March 15. Another horse sired by Burke's famed Sweet Lou could be a sleeper in the series ready to break out. Ammo has only been in the "Burke Brigade" for a few months, but he's gotten the attention of the Hall of Fame trainer. "He's a Breeders Crown winner with some class," said Burke of Ammo, a major upset winner in the Crown juvenile event in 2022 that has never quite come back to that performance since. "He was sneaky good in his last start and he's just starting to respond to our program." Ammo drew post two in the eighth race and fourth $50,000 Borgata division, and that's the good news for team Burke. The bad is that he's likely in the toughest of the quintet with Desperate Man (post three) and the streaking Mossdale Ben N (post six) to his outside in a packed division. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Desperate Man won 11 of his 16 starts last year for trainer Travis Alexander but was denied the Borgata championship final when he got parked the mile, yet somehow managed a third-place finish. Desperate Man qualified solidly at Pocono in 1:54 on March 26, his third prep race in advance of Monday's 2025 debut. Mossdale Ben N has been in action for trainer Peter Tritton and has been the best horse to race at Yonkers this meet, with four consecutive wins, including an easy score in the March 17 $35,000 Invitational over the half-mile strip. Act Fast (post one) has a position edge in the seventh race Borgata division but to date Burke hasn't been enamored with his performances. "I've been disappointed with him," said Burke. "I know he's better than the way he's been racing." Act Fast has yet to hit the board in three starts this year but figures to have a big chance with the favorable draw on Monday. Birthday has had a few prep races at the Meadowlands prior to the Borgata and Burke is happy with the way he's coming in. "He's a good horse that will need to get the right kind of trip in this series," said Burke of the 6-year-old Sweet Lou-sired gelding that won nine times last year and had success over the Yonkers strip. Birthday drew post three in the ninth race and final division, and will get tested from a solid field of eight that includes last year's MGM Grand Prix champion Typhoon Banner N (post one), along with the well-traveled Rocknroll Runa A (post six). Also joining this group is Miki Shan N (post eight), a winner in both his North American starts at Yonkers, including a solid effort on March 25. Burke doesn't have a horse in the sixth race Borgata division where Coaches Corner (post seven) will make his 2025 Yonkers debut after enjoying tremendous success there last year for trainer Per Engblom. Coaches Corner finished second in last year's Borgata final and appears to have come back in excellent condition. Trainer Cory Stratton is no stranger to the Borgata and has a pair in the series, including For Once Inmy Life (post four), a son of Downbytheseaside that's been first or second in all six of his starts this year racing at the top level at the Meadowlands. Dunkin' won two preliminary legs of the Borgata for trainer Scott Di Domenico last year but then drew post eight for the final where he finished fifth. Dunkin' has been second in four of his five starts this year heading into the Borgata and landed post two in this division. Burke also seemed excited about the prospects of his pacing mare Seaside Diva in the Blue Chip Matchmaker series that begins on Friday (March 28). "She's a solid mare and I think she can go with the best in that series," Burke said. Monday's 12-race Yonkers program starts at 6:45 p.m. (EDT), and the five Borgata races form a $10,000 guaranteed Pick 5 wager. Free past performances for the series will be available here.