Yonkers: Sears aims to upset the applecart in Triple Crown

The first legs of the trotting and pacing Triple Crowns will be up for grabs on Friday (June 30) at MGM Yonkers Raceway as part of a stellar 12-race card that also includes a pair of filly companion races. While the spotlight won't be on driver Brian Sears, none of his competitors own his résumé when it comes to winning these classic races.

Sears, who is listed to drive in all four stakes races on the card, has won the MGM Yonkers Trot five times, including in 2022 with Joviality. The handful of victories (Gimpanzee 2019; Top Flight Angel 2017; Habitat 2015; Strong Yankee 2005) leave him just one behind Stanley Dancer for the all-time record in the race which dates back to 1955. The 55-year-old also owns a pair of wins in the MGM Grand Messenger behind Always A Virgin (2007) and Downbytheseaside (2017).

The $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot (race eight) sees Sears starts from post four in the eight-horse field behind the Marcus Melander-trained Crown. The trainer and driver hooked up with both Joviality and Gimpanzee.

A son of Chapter Seven, Crown has experience over the track as a Sire Stakes winner in 2022 and from losing by just a head when finishing third in last week's elimination.

"He's a talented horse. I thought last week's effort was one of his best races this year, but the draw wasn't great with the three best horses inside," said Sears, who was referring to elimination winners Up Your Deo (post two) and Kierkegaard K (post three) from the Ake Svanstedt barn along with Chapercraz (post one), who finished in second ahead of Crown last week.

The Yonkers Trot is the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown that includes the Hambletonian on August 5 at the Meadowlands and Kentucky Futurity on October 8 at The Red Mile.

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If anything the task is tougher for Sears in the $250,000 MGM Grand Messenger, race seven on the program. Sears steers recent Sire Stakes winner Its A Me Mario from post seven, and while his unblemished record in five starts looks great on paper, the colt by American Ideal is clearly facing tougher company.

While Sears wasn't ruling out a victory, he called it a "tough spot" to overcome on the half-mile track.

It's A Me Mario is coming off a 1:49 4/5 Sire Stakes win at Vernon, but pole-sitter Annapolis Hanover, Seven Colors (post two), Captain Batboy (post five), Thunder Hunter Joe (post six) and Hungry Man (post eight) all own faster lifetime marks.

Contested at 1 1/16 miles this year and featuring a 10-horse field, the MGM Grand Messenger kicks off the Pacing Triple Crown. Leg two is the Cane Pace at the Meadowlands on August 5 and the final leg is the Little Brown Jug on September 21 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Despite drawing the eight-hole in the $100,000 New York New York Mile (race five), Sears was perhaps most chatty about his chances with Secret Volo, another Marcus Melander trainee who was most recently second in the New Jersey Sire Stakes final at the Meadowlands.

"She's really good gaited and the half-mile track doesn't bother her. She has the gate speed to overcome the outside," said Sears, who could be helped by the mile and a sixteenth distance of this final, providing a bit more run before the first turn for the filly by Walner to leave from the outside.

Of course Secret Volo will have to contend with likely heavy race favorite Sadie Hanover from the Linda Toscano barn. The Chapter Seven-sired lass is undefeated in five starts this year and recently won the Empire Breeders Classic in a career-best 1:51 3/5.

In the sixth race $115,000 Park MGM Filly Pace Sears will steer Vivians Dream from post six. The Kevin Lare trainee was third beaten less than a length in her elimination last weekend but has been off her game of late after a strong 2-year-old campaign where she won $439,770.

"I wish she was coming into it better," admitted Sears, who offered up some positive points as well. "She's a monster filly when she's right. I wouldn't have gone up to Canada to drive her if I didn't feel that way.

"She's big, strong and versatile. I expect big things from her."

Elimination winners Ucandoit Blue Chip (post two) and Earthwindfire (post five) are the horses to beat in the Park MGM. The former is a New Jersey Sire Stakes winner this year while Earthwindfire remains undefeated in three starts in 2022.

That Sears has drives in each of the stakes on the card is a testament to his talent considering he has driven in just 80 races this year, well under 10% of the total from his contemporaries. The Hall of Famer has won 15% of those drives and finished in the money 50% of the time. For Sears the lighter schedule is about enjoying life more after spending decades on the road travelling from track to track.

"I definitely don't miss running around all the time," said Sears.

Post time for the 12-race card at Yonkers is 7:00 PM (EDT).