Yonkers: Pacing Triple Crown try at hand after Stay Hungry grabs Messenger title

Stay Hungry and Doug McNair were aggressive early and determined late in capturing the second jewel in the Pacing Triple Crown, the $500,000 Messenger Stakes at Yonkers on Saturday night. After capturing the Cane Pace in August at the Meadowlands and now the Messenger, Stay Hungry has the opportunity to annex the Triple Crown of Pacing with a victory in a few weeks in the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio.

Stay Hungry got the lead from stablemate Babes Dig Me at the quarter in 27 1/5 as 3-5 favorite Jimmy Freight was forced to concede position and tuck in after getting jammed up off the first turn.

McNair used the opportunity to slow the half to :55 3/5 as driver Louis-Philippe Roy put Jimmy Freight on the move on the second turn and forced the fractions. The two went at it tooth-and-nail from that half and hit three-quarters with Stay Hungry still determined in 1:23 flat. Springsteen and driver Brian Sears appeared in good striking position at that point and came three-wide on the final turn but drifted and lost his action on the final turn.

Stay Hungry dug in gamely and held off a determined Jimmy Freight, who clearly got squeezed off the first turn, but the judges saw no infraction. Sent off at 5-2 Stay Hungry returned $7.60, with Jimmy Freight second in the 1:52 1/5 mile, and Topville Olympian third.

"He's a pleasure to drive," said McNair of the race winner. "The front-end is not usually his forte, but he handled it tonight.

Trainer Tony Alagna after seeing the draw (post six) spoke with McNair before the race.

"I told him don't go down without a fight," Alagna said following the race.

Indeed, McNair did everything possible to stop Jimmy Freight and succeeded.

Alexis Faith pulled the pocket coming off the third turn and dispatched second choice Better Than Happy in short order in her way to a convincing 1:53 4/5 victory in the $112,904 Lady Maud for sophomore filly pacers. The New York-sired daughter of American Ideal allowed Better Than Happy the track through fractions of 27 4/5 and 57 1/5 but delivered the knockout punch, hitting three-quarters on the lead in 1:25 3/5 and drawing clear. Solitary rallied late for the place spot, with Jewels Forreal third across the wire.

Casie Coleman trains Alexis Faith, a 1-5 winner, for owners West Wins Stables, Jim Fielding, Robert Darrow and Kevin McKinlay.