Yonkers: Super Chapter leads Melander exacta in MGM Yonkers Trot

Super Chapter made a break when he raced at MGM Yonkers Raceway in last year's New York Sire Stakes final, but Dexter Dunn took no chances of a repeat of that performance, taking the prohibitive favorite in Friday's $300,000 Grade 2 MGM Yonkers Trot well off-the-pace at the outset but still having plenty in reserve to secure a 1:54 3/5 victory in the opening leg of Trotting's Triple Crown.

With just five horses in the field, Dunn elected prudence at the outset as stablemate Variegated, with Scott Zeron, marched to the front from post three and Happy Jack B with Ake Svanstedt assumed the pocket. With Hard Seven breaking at the outset, Super Chapter was in fourth while well off the pace through a 29 second opening quarter.

Variegated kept the pace consistent, hitting the half in 58 seconds with Dunn sitting fourth to that station but beginning to energize the Marcus Melander-trained son of Chapter Seven. Dunn finally moved Super Chapter coming out of the third turn, and he advanced quickly on the top pair as Variegated led the field through three-quarters in 1:26 3/5 with Svanstedt content to draft behind with Happy Jack B.

Dunn turned up the temperature on the pace, and Super Chapter was more than up to the task, measuring off the field through a 28 second final quarter for a confident victory. Variegated was well clear for second, with Happy Jack B third in the five-horse field.

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Super Chapter is owned by Jeffrey Snyder and Arthur Pronti and won for the eighth time in 14 lifetime starts, increasing his career earnings to $744,425 with the win. Super Chapter, a son of Chapter Seven, as were the rest of the quintet, is the fourth living foal from the Cantab Hall-sired dam Lifetime Pursuit. Lifetime Pursuit has Triple Crown history of her own as the upset winner in the 2014 Hambletonian Oaks at the Meadowlands, her signature victory on the way to a $1 million racing career. Super Chapter is by far her most accomplished foal to date. Super Chapter was a $300,000 yearling purchase from the 2023 Harrisburg Sale.

Sent off as the shortest possible favorite, Super Chapter returned $2.10 to win with the exacta returning $4.10 and triple at $24.40.

"I just took my time, keeping him safe with the first turn," said Dunn, recalling the break in stride when Super Chapter was the prohibitive choice in last year's Sire Stakes final.

"He's gotten stronger," added Dunn, quite impressed thus far with Super Chapter's unblemished sophomore campaign.

This was the first MGM Yonkers Trot triumph for Dunn and the third for trainer Marcus Melander, who won it first in 2019 with Gimpanzee and again in 2022 with the filly Joviality S.

--press release (Yonkers)--