Yonkers: Western Joe seeks second signature win in MGM Borgata final

If ever there was a David vs. Goliath tale for harness racing, all one would need to do is look at Monday's $514,000 final of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway to find it. Qualifying for the final spots, we find perennial leading trainer Ron Burke with three of the eight in the field. Burke routinely enters the most horses and races the most top-rated aged pacers in North America, so his contenders have earned their places. On the other side is trainer Chris Choate, who thanks to some tough luck at the claim box over the last week, has now seen his stable reduced to but three horses. Choate has two of his horses on the Monday card, with the veteran Western Joe set to tackle Burke's threesome, as well as four other solid contenders in the Borgata.

"I was happy with the way he came out of last week's race," said Choate before the final was drawn. "Post position is the most important factor at Yonkers."

The trainer, who saw his horse draw outside more than the average during five legs of the series, was unaware that Western Joe would land mid-pack (post five), inside two of the three Burke-trained contenders (Backstreet Shadow in post six and This Is The Plan in post eight), and also Leonidas A (post seven), who won all four of the preliminary legs he raced in.

The 7-year-old Western Joe had raced periodically at Yonkers throughout his $791K-winning career but hadn't had much luck. For 2021, Choate had discussed a game plan to change things up a bit, and the MGM Borgata Pacing Series was added to his schedule.

"We staked him heavily last year," said Choate. "In the end, with all of the traveling and entry fees, the owners kind of broke even. So, when we got together to plan his schedule, we decided to stay close to home and stake him much less."

Thus far the move has worked rather well for Choate as Western Joe has started exclusively at the Meadowlands and Yonkers this year and has nearly reached his entire earnings from 2020 with the big money riding this Monday.

"Other than this race (Borgata) we've only staked him to the Haughton (Meadowlands) and the Breeders Crown because it's at our home track this year," remarked Choate.

Choate isn't looking down the road just yet, but he's more than happy with his decision to race Western Joe in each leg, as last week's fifth round netted the altered son of Western Ideal a sizeable ($10,000) second-place check, far better than what may have been had he skipped the week and trained up to the final.

"He's not an easy horse to train hard," said Choate. "I just figured it would be better to race him and work him lightly during the week."

It's that kind of schedule that has kept Western Joe in top form, and no doubt the added attention the horse gets from Choate has paid off for quite some time.

While Western Joe enters the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final with two wins and two seconds in the five legs and will have the services of top driver Dexter Dunn, it's hard to know just how well the horse will handle the turns in the final.

"I have no idea," said Choate, bewildered in some way but accepting of the consequences given just how resilient Western Joe has been despite his issues around the turns. "He does it at the Meadowlands too."

What Western Joe has done is slow down, and generally it happens on the final turn.

"I really can't explain it," said Choate. "Maybe he's cheating on us."

The reference would imply that the veteran will only give what he wants and becomes his own boss on the final turn.

"I don't know how else to explain it. It doesn't happen on the first turn. We've seen him leave in 25 and change at the Meadowlands," Choate said.

What Western Joe has lacked on the turns somehow leaves his mind into the stretch, as the gelding has finished powerfully in his last three Yonkers races, including a March 29 blow-by of the 1-2 Burke-trained Backstreet Shadow in a 1:51 4/5 victory.

In last week's final prelim Dunn essentially conceded the front to Backstreet Shadow, and Western Joe attempted a first-over bid that stalled dramatically on the final turn. While thought to be going backwards at the time, Western Joe came to life in the stretch and again finished his mile going faster than at any time during the race.

"Sure, he's lost a step," said Choate. "Most horses his age will."

As a 4-year-old in 2018, Western Joe had his signature win, beating the aged champion McWicked in the mile and one-eighth Sam McKee Memorial. It was the biggest victory of his career in a year he would win 10 of 25 starts.

On Monday Western Joe has the opportunity to become a millionaire if he can defeat seven rivals, including a former stablemate. Mach N Cheese had spent the last two years alongside Western Joe in the small but select Choate stable. The owners elected to move the horse this year to trainer Edwin Quevedo, and Mach N Cheese found his way into the final with a timely win in last week's last round.

Choate was happy his former trainee made the final but perhaps happier that another horse didn't.

"Dexter (Dunn) told me that Let It Ride N wouldn't be back at Yonkers," Choate said as to how he was able to land the back-to-back Driver of the Year award winner.

Unbeknownst to Choate was the fact that the pre-MGM Borgata favorite will in fact be present at Yonkers on Monday night but for the $100,000 consolation and not the rich final.

While some of the others in Monday's field appear headed for major stakes events following the MGM Borgata Pacing Series final, Choate will be taking a different road.

"We'll give him a few weeks off," Choate said. "Then we'll likely go back to race at the Meadowlands. It's a track he loves, and the purses are solid."

There are many tough horses in the MGM Borgata final, with Rockapelo (post one), Hesa Kingslayer N (post two), and Lyons Steel (post four) inside of Western Joe. Just how the race will unfold is anyone's guess, but expect Western Joe to be giving it his all in the stretch.

The full field with drivers, trainers, and morning line odds follows:

1-Rockapelo (George Brennan/Ron Burke, 9-2)
2-Hesa Kingslayer N (Jim Marohn Jr./Mike Deters, 6-1)
3-Mach N Cheese (Joe Bongiorno/Edwin Quevedo, 8-1)
4-Lyons Steel (Corey Callahan/Dennis Watson, 20-1)
5-Western Joe (Dexter Dunn/Chris Choate, 3-1)
6-Backstreet Shadow (Tim Tetrick/Ron Burke, 4-1)
7-Leonidas A (Austin Siegelman/Sheena Mcelhiney, 6-1)
8-This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke, 5-1)