Yonkers: Ma Isabelle, Kazio DK prevail in John Brennan Trotting Series

The second round of the John Brennan Trotting Series was featured on Wednesday (April 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway, and the winners of the two $30,000 divisions were Ma Isabelle and Kazio DK.

The John Brennan Trotting Series is named in honor of the longtime Standardbred Owners Association of New York horsemen's representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020.

After Pierre In Paris (Yannick Gingras) and Green Mel (Jordan Stratton) made breaks before the start, just four horses were left in contention in the opening flight. Commodus A (Jason Bartlett) would put up fractions of 30, 59 2/5 and 1:27 3/5 while Ma Isabelle (Pat Lachance) followed in the pocket and opening-leg victor Always A Story (Tyler Buter) waited in third until being sent two-wide before three-quarters.

Commodus A dug in gamely on the lead in the stretch, but Ma Isabelle and Always A Story both closed at him, and at the finish it was Ma Isabelle who got her nose on the wire first, defeating Commodus A by a nose in a 1:56 2/5 mile. Always A Story checked in the third position.

Lachance trains the victorious 5-year-old daughter of Alarm Detector for owners/breeders Tom and Elizabeth Rankin. Ma Isabelle has ten wins, 14 seconds and 11 thirds from 66 starts, has earned $178,892 and paid $61.90 to win as a 29-1 shot. She led a $290.08 exacta and an $1,184.86 trifecta.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Kazio DK (Gingras) wound up with the lead after Diplomacy (Bartlett) went off-stride on the first turn in the second section, and after he cut the quarter in 29 3/5, the half in 58 2/5 and the three-quarters in 1:28 2/5, Kazio DK trotted home in 28 4/5 to defeat pocket-sitter Exquisite Taste (Lachance) by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:57 1/5. Velociraptor (Colin Kelly) was the third-place finisher.

Gingras also co-owns the Ron Burke-trained Kazio DK, a 5-year-old gelding by Muscle Massive, with partners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC. and Fac Racing LLC. Kazio DK has a summary of 7-11-4 from 35 appearances, has banked $107,099 and returned $6.76 to win as the 2-1 second choice. He was atop a $12.60 exacta and a $39.36 trifecta.

This year's John Brennan Trotting Series has one more prelim on April 15 prior to the $100,000 (guaranteed) final and $50,000 (guaranteed) consolation on April 22. After being contested at the distance of a mile and a quarter in 2025, the final and consolation will go back to the standard mile distance this year.

Stakes action continues at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday (April 10) and Monday (April 13) with the third leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series and MGM Borgata Pacing Series, respectively. The McIntyre has four $50,000 splits, while the Borgata has a trio of $50,000 divisions.

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

--press release (Yonkers)--