Yonkers: First leg of MGM Borgata Pacing Series set for Monday

It will be an MGM Borgata Pacing Series bonanza on Monday night (March 15) at Yonkers Raceway as 40 free-for-all pacers entered for the first leg, necessitating five $40,000 divisions. The MGM Borgata Pacing Series events will go as races three through seven.

Let It Ride N (post four, Dexter Dunn/Nifty Norman) brings his six-for-six record since coming to the United States into the first flight. If he wants to make it a perfect seven, he'll have to defeat the likes of This Is The Plan (post one, Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke), who won the $125,000 contest for MGM Borgata Pacing Series eligibles at Yonkers on November 28 of last year, 2019 Breeders Crown Open Pace champion American History (post three, Andrew McCarthy/Tony Alagna), and Rodeo Rock (post six, McCarthy also listed for trainer Robert Cleary), who won two legs and was second in the final of this series in 2019.

American Mercury (post two, Andrew McCarthy/Nifty Norman), the winner of the Messenger final at Yonkers in 2019, makes his 5-year-old debut in the second split. He will match up against foes such as Lyons Steel (post three, Austin Siegelman/Dennis Watson), who took a preliminary round of this series in 2019 in 1:50 4/5, and None Bettor A (post six, Todd McCarthy/Nancy Takter), who has scored in the Open at Yonkers multiple times during his career.

None Bettor A's stablemate San Domino A (post four, Todd McCarthy/Nancy Takter) has made plenty of appearances in the winner's circle at Yonkers after winning Opens, and he headlines the third MGM Borgata Pacing Series section. Rockapelo (post eight, George Brennan/Ron Burke) won a New York Sire Stakes final over the track back in 2018 and has gone on to have success in the Open as an aged horse, and Pat Stanley N (post five, Jordan Stratton/Shane Tritton) and Mach N Cheese (post six, Tyler Buter/Edwin Quevedo) have also raced well at high levels in Westchester before.

Hesa Kingslayer N won an Open at Yonkers on January 18 of this year, and he has the pole position for driver Jim Marohn Jr. and trainer Mike Deters in the fourth MGM Borgata Pacing Series battle. Ideal Jimmy (post two, Brent Holland/Erv Miller) had success in this series in 2019, taking three legs and finishing fourth in the final, Ostro Hanover (post five, Tyler Buter/Daniel Renaud) has won many times in the Open at Yonkers and was second to This Is The Plan in the $125,000 tilt for series eligibles last November, and Ana Afreet N (post seven, Andrew McCarthy/Jeff Cullipher) has been sharp for an extended period of time, racing mainly at the Meadowlands.

A deep group goes in Monday's final showdown. Western Fame (post two, Daniel Dube/Shane Tritton) won four legs and the final of this series in 2019 and also won two preliminary rounds in 2018, Backstreet Shadow (post four, Tim Tetrick/Ron Burke) has over $850,000 in the bank and won last year's Roll With Joe final, and Leonidas A (post five, Austin Siegelman/Sheena McElhiney) won the Open at Yonkers on March 1 and picked up a Grand Circuit credit by taking the 2020 Potomac Pace. Ashley Locaz N (post six, Dexter Dunn/Chris Ryder), who was third in the prestigious Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Cup last year, will be making his U.S. debut in this race, as well.

The MGM Borgata Pacing Series has five preliminary rounds, and they will take place on March 15, 22, 29, and April 5 and 12. The final is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 19.

Post time for Monday night's program at Yonkers is 7:15 p.m.

--press release (Yonkers Raceway Media)--