Yonkers: Toscano trio with hopes of qualifying for stakes finals

Trainer Linda Toscano has a pair of top-flight 3-year-old pacing fillies in action on Friday night with Heart Of Mine and Marsala Hanover looking for spots in the Park MGM final on July 2 at Yonkers Raceway. The pacing fillies are entered in a pair of $25,000 elimination heats with only the top four in each reaching the final.

Heart Of Mine drew the rail in the first (race 4) of the two elimination races and the daughter of Roll With Joe puts her unbeaten (in 2021) record on the line versus five fillies.

"She's grown up a lot," said Toscano of the filly who won just once in 11 tries as a 2-year-old but still banked in excess of $131K in her first season. "She was just immature, but I still thought she had a productive season."

Heart Of Mine, a well-bred filly who is out of a full sister to the $1.6 million winner Artspeak, has put together an exemplary record while winning three stakes races already in 2021, including the Reynolds at Yonkers in handy fashion on May 7. With all five victories this year coming over the half-mile track, Heart Of Mine appears the horse to beat, at least in this division.

"I'm happy with the draw for her and that she got into the easier division," said Toscano. Heart Of Mine landed the pole position and hopes to continue her winning form after a solid New York Sire Stakes triumph over a tricky Buffalo surface on June 16. "She got over that track well but a lot of others made breaks," said Toscano.

Heart Of Mine will face three $100K-plus earners from 2020 in Darby Hanover (post 4), Lindy At The Beach (post 5) and Podium Girl (post 6) in her division.

While Heart Of Mine is off to a fast start in 2021, the same can't be said for Marsala Hanover. One of the standout fillies in Pennsylvania as a 2-year-old, Marsala Hanover has won just once in four starts this year but appears headed in the right direction.

"If you look at her races last year pretty much every start had her leaving the gate. She's got to learn to be able to race with different trips," said Toscano. With that in mind Marsala Hanover was seen closing strongly into a 25 3/5 final quarter in a prep for this race last Saturday night at The Meadowlands. "That was a much better effort for her," said Toscano.

Marsala Hanover (post 6) not only drew outside but finds a pair of fillies in her elimination (race 5) that were clearly the division leaders in 2020 -- Fire Start Hanover and Test Of Faith. The Dan Patch Award-winning Fire Start Hanover drew post three for trainer Nifty Norman and Test Of Faith, a 10-time winner in just 11 career starts, was not only the New York Sire Stakes champion last year but clocked the fastest mile when she won in 1:48 4/5 at The Red Mile. Though Marsala Hanover has had trouble finding the winner's circle this year, she has a second and third in a pair of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes to her credit.

Toscano hasn't had Highlandbeachsbest very long but appears quite happy with the son of Somebeachsomewhere that came her way quite by accident. "Scott (Zeron) really liked this horse and asked me to take him," said Toscano, who began training Highlandbeachsbest about a week before his June 15 start at Pocono. "He's a very nice horse. I don't think that last line shows how good he really is," said Toscano of the sixth-place finish at Pocono. Highlandbeachsbest drew post two in the second $40,000 elimination heat for the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes and will need to be at his best in a field that includes the top-rated Abuckabett Hanover (post 1). Trainer Tony Alagna has a potent entry in this division with Abuckabett Hanover, undefeated in three 2021 starts including a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes score where he ended the winning streak of Perfect Sting. Abuckabett Hanover (post 4) will be joined by Exploit (post 6) as an entry in the field. Exploit, a surprise winner in last year's Metro, was a 1:53 2/5 winner at Yonkers on June 15 in preparation for this stakes event.

I'll Drink To That (post 5) enters the Messenger trials on a two-race win streak having scorched the Buffalo Raceway strip in a NYSS win on June 9 in 1:53 1/5. Chris Ryder trains the son of American Ideal.

The once-beaten American Courage (post 2) has proven himself time and again over the half-mile track and faces a solid group of six rivals in the first (eighth race) $40,000 MGM Grand Messenger elimination. A handy 1:52 winner in the Reynolds here on May 7, American Courage became a sub-1:50 performer with a victory at Pocono on June 12.

Heart Of Chewbacca and Charlie May have been duking it out at the highest level in Ohio this year and the pair will make their Yonkers debut with very little separating them. The two will line up from posts six and seven respectively, with this week's competition more about finishing in the top four. Heart Of Chewbacca is the faster of the Buckeye duo this year with a 1:48 4/5 victory at Scioto on June 12. Charlie May got the better of his rival on June 19 winning a $50,000 leg of the Ohio Sire Stakes at Scioto.

"He's very sharp now," said Charlie May's trainer Steve Carter. "I think he has a great shot of being in the top four and then it just comes down to the draw."

The top four finishers in each MGM Grand Messenger elimination return for the $500,000 final on July 2, as will the top quartet from a pair of eliminations for the $500,000 Yonkers Trot (Races 6 & 7).