Yonkers: Hart aims for first MGM Yonkers Trot with Sir Pinocchio

Trainer Ed Hart has been active in the sport for more than 50 years and Friday will likely be his first chance at capturing the coveted first leg in the Triple Crown of Trotting with Sir Pinocchio in Friday's MGM Yonkers Trot. The veteran conditioner has what some may call a boutique operation with just nine horses under his and his wife's care, but Hart and company do all the work by themselves in seeing the horses made ready to race.

"We've cut down a lot," said Hart. "It's really hard to get help these days, so it just works out better with my wife and one other person working with the horses."

The closeness Hart keeps with his horses has allowed him to be personally on top of all the details, and so when horses like Sir Pinocchio show up at the track they are generally ready for battle. The sophomore son of Mets Hall started his season by capturing the Dexter Cup at Freehold, the first major half-mile test for top trotting sophomores, and now this Friday hopes to give Hart his first major trotting win over the Yonkers track.

"I won the Messenger with Roll With Joe in his last start," said Hart, recalling the swan song of the star sophomore pacer from 2011 at Yonkers Raceway.

Sir Pinocchio also gives longtime owners and small breeder Carolyn Atherton and her husband Irv their first chance at winning the Yonkers Trot, a heralded race contested just four miles from their residence. For Carolyn Atherton it is perhaps even more special as Sir Pinocchio was bred by her from the Chapter Seven-sired dam Lady Cromwell, a full sister to Lord Cromwell, a trotter than earned $540K for the couple between 2016-21.

With three wins in six starts this year, Sir Pinocchio has advanced rapidly from a horse at age 2 that had high, unrealized expectations to now a consistent Grand Circuit threat.

"He always showed a lot of talent," said Hart. "He would just do stupid things at times."

Those stupid things were, of course, breaks in stride and in more than one occasion they turned victory into bitter defeats for Sir Pinocchio and his connections.

It was last September at Tioga in the Reynolds where Hart finally saw more than he could handle from Sir Pinocchio.

"He was going to win the Reynolds Stake and trot in 1:55, and he made a break for no reason," said Hart.

With that being his final start and the journey to a 3-year-old season underway, Hart made the decision to castrate Sir Pinocchio and has seen a major change.

"He's a more focused horse this year, definitely," said Hart of the dramatic turnaround.

Last year Sir Pinocchio was competing on the "B" circuit in the New York Sire Stakes program, but now he's on the 'A' team, and even better racing with the best horses in North America, including seven others he'll meet in Friday's $300,000 Yonkers Trot.

Sir Pinocchio did not race in the single $25,000 elimination last Friday (June 21), and that suited Hart nicely.

"He came out of a tough race at Vernon [Empire Breeders Classic] and with the shipping and hot weather I was glad to give him the week off," said Hart.

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Sir Pinocchio was a solid second behind Situationship in that Vernon race, and he'll meet up again with the Ake Svanstedt trainee in the Yonkers Trot, though post positions will favor Hart's charge with Sir Pinocchio landing post two and Situationship starting from post eight.

"I thought he raced well in the Empire Breeders," said Hart. "He got used a bit hard in the early stages and was only beaten by a very good horse."

With the race moving to the half-mile track, Hart is going back to a piece of equipment that has been a safety net for Sir Pinocchio but has paid dividends, that being trotting hopples.

"He can get to running in or running out and you don't want to make a mistake," said Hart of his decision that has proven quite wise, with Dexter Cup and New York Sire Stakes wins over half-mile tracks. Sir Pinocchio won his first start of the year over this surface back on April 17 with regular pilot Jason Bartlett in the sulky.

"Jason's done a great job with this horse," said Hart, echoing the praise of many for the Yonkers leading driver who has proven himself time and again in major races.

The MGM Yonkers Trot saw two others take byes and skip the eliminations, with Security Protected (post one) and the aforementioned Situationship taking advantage of the added rest. Bargain, for red-hot trainer Nancy Takter, did not take a pass and in the process showed his quickness and determination in capturing the $25,000 contest in 1:54 3/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, who will guide him once again in the final. Bargain has done well over the Yonkers surface, winning his very first career start just over a year ago wire-to-wire for Gingras at odds of 24-1. The Chapter Seven-sired gelding drew post three for the final and can utilize his early speed to advantage.

Trainer Marcus Melander has had success in the past in the Yonkers Trot with victories in 2022 with the filly Joviality S and in 2019 with Gimpanzee. Unlike that pair, Security Protected does not enter the Yonkers Trot with New York Sire Stakes experience over half-mile tracks and instead makes his first start over a four-turn oval in the Yonkers Trot. That said, Tim Tetrick will be in the bike behind the son of Father Patrick that has been perfect in three starts this year, capturing two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races in the process. Security Protected has raced with the best in North America, finishing third behind Karl in last year's Breeders Crown for rookie male trotters.

Ake Svanstedt has a pair in the Yonkers Trot with Flying Kronos S (post five) joining Situationship behind the starting gate. The Swedish-bred son of Face Time Bourbon earned a spot in the final with a fourth-place finish in last week's trials.

Svanstedt has sent out three Yonkers Trot winners, including last year's champion Up Your Deo, who he drove to victory.

Duke Of Walner (post four), I'm Out (post six) and Fly By (post seven) complete the field of eight.

Hart sounded optimistic of his chances but recognizes that this is perhaps the best field Sir Pinocchio has faced in his career.

"I think the best trip for him is chasing down horses; that's what he likes to do," said Hart, who expects his horse to be close to the pace but likely not on the front-end.

The Yonkers Trot is scheduled as race eight on a stakes-laden 12-race card that gets underway at 7:00 P.M. (EDT) and also includes the $225,000 MGM Grand Messenger. Both races are part of a $75,000 guaranteed Pick 5 wager that will be boosted by $20,000 in seed money from the SOA of NY.