Yonkers: New faces, stallions shining bright in 2024 Borgata

Following three preliminary legs of the MGM Borgata Series at Yonkers this year, one must wonder whether the dominance we've seen in the series by the Burke stable is no longer in play.

Burke's crew has enjoyed an impressive run since the stable captured three of the first four finals at Yonkers when Maltese Artist (2007) and then Foiled Again scored in successive years (2009-10). The team has been strong in the most recent years as well, with This Is The Plan taking the 2021 edition and then Hellabalou upsetting at big odds in last year's final.

Burke returned Hellabalou this year, as well as former champion This Is The Plan, but neither has captured a leg thus far and each risks not qualifying for the final. That's almost impossible to believe considering the Borgata has been well-supported by the Burke team over the years, and generally following eliminations they qualify two candidates for the title in the final.

Monday's (April 1) third leg gave indication that even if Burke were to qualify horses for the final, they will more likely be longshots as opposed to favorites. This year's version of the series has a new flavor with fewer horses nominating in the first place. Then there appears to be an imbalance between the haves and the have-nots, as Monday's leg proved, with a pair of horses with strong Canadian roots rising to the top and appearing destined for a duel in the final, unless they meet up again in a future preliminary. We're talking quite obviously about Desperate Man and Linedrive Hanover, as the pair flaunted their speed and class in separate divisions of the third leg of the series and won as easy as would be expected. Desperate Man did defeat Linedrive Hanover when the two met up in the second leg of the series, but it's hard to make too much of that decision given that just $50,000 was on the line and more than likely 10 times that amount will be up for grabs when Matt Kakaley (Desperate Man) and Scott Zeron (Linedrive Hanover) make key decisions in the April 22 final.

There is the presence of many horses in the Borgata that have a history racing in this class, but in 2024 many of those past stars have shown the wear and tear that comes with age and a number of starts. Despite some heroic efforts, it's hard to imagine that Covered Bridge or Funatthebeach N, two of last year's prime players that had career years in 2023, will regain that vintage form to meet the challenge of a pair of newcomers that may lack the experience but most definitely have the class.

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This year's Borgata Series not only has shown that more than one trainer has a chance, but it has also exhibited that sires can come from anywhere and compete on this stage. That Dunkin', a son of Pet Rock, and Rocknroll Runa A, an imported son of Rock N Roll Heaven, have each captured two legs of the series suggests there is not the dominance of one or two regional stallions. The biggest statement likely to be made here is that sons of Shadow Play, the sire of the 2022 Horse of the Year Bulldog Hanover, could be major players in the final, as well as the rest of the season. Not only does Desperate Man appear in line to favoritism in the final and a presence at the top level the remainder of the season, but his stablemate Backstreet Shadow (two third-place finishes) has a few legs ahead to win a race or two and reach the final. Trainer Travis Alexander has been entrusted to guide the fortunes of these sons of Shadow Play, and in early April they appear to be in the kind of form that wins major races.

Alexander suggested that Desperate Man would be a better horse returning this year following a disappointing finish in 2023. That has been abundantly clear with his Borgata victories. Backstreet Shadow had a later start than his stablemate but gave indication in the stretch this past Monday that he's starting to get back into form. A $330K winner in his first full year primarily for Alexander, Backstreet Shadow is one of two key examples of horses that have had a positive return for owners and trainers after leaving the Burke stable. One would think that having better results than Burke with any horse is improbable but not impossible. Backstreet Shadow's story is impressive, but Covered Bridge's earnings defy the odds. Covered Bridge was purchased from the Burke stable in September of 2022 and since has gone on to earn nearly $700,000 for owner Mark Ford and trainer Jeff Gillis. With $528K last year, Covered Bridge had an incredibly good season at the age of 7. Surprisingly, he's been an iron horse and raced through the winter in advance of the Borgata Series and has still managed to win a leg and finished third and fourth on two other occasions, likely providing the points necessary to make his second straight Borgata final.

It's hard to believe that it's been 16 years since Larry Stalbaum captured the then-labeled Levy Series final with Special Report, a son of Keystone Raider that raced hard, often and well for Stalbaum. In 2008 alone, the year of his Levy title, Special Report won two legs of the Presidential Series in January at the Meadowlands, then went to Pompano for three solid second-place finishes in the Isle Of Capri Series in March before returning to Yonkers to win two preliminary legs and the final, racing six consecutive weeks and leaving the gate in five of those races.

It's way too early to put Rocknroll Runa A in Special Report's class, but he was a good, closing third following two victories in the series with Stalbaum training (he drove Special Report) and Mark MacDonald in the bike.

While the Borgata hasn't had any tweaks over the years, with the format of five consecutive weeks followed by a final pretty much cemented, it's nice to see a change in the players with diversity to this point finishing ahead of prior dominance.