Five three-year-old colts, led by world champion Googoo Gaagaa, have been entered for the 58th edition of Yonkers Raceway's Yonkers Trot, the first jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown.
The limited number of entrants makes the race, worth $445,594, a one-dash-for-the-cash event set for a week from Saturday night, July 7.
The quintet, in alphabetical order with declared drivers, are: Archangel (Jim Morrill Jr.), Googoo Gaagaa (Corey Callahan), Market Share (Jeff Gregory), Muscolo (Ray Schnittker) and Stormin Normand (Dave Palone).
The star of the show is, of course, Googoo Gaagaa. The son of pacing sire Cams Rocket with a modest upbringing has won 11 of his 12 career starts and $345,945. Googoo Gaagaa enters the Yonkers Trot off a world record 1:50.4 effort in last Saturday's $500,000 final of the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial at Pocono Downs. Richard Hans is Googoo Gaagaa's breeder, owner and trainer.
Stormin Normand, the only horse to come within earshot (a length and a quarter) of "Googoo" in the Poconos, tries him again. The homebred (Fashion Farms) son of Broadway Hall, with seven wins and three seconds in 10 career tries and $430,085 earned in purses, is trained by Jim Campbell.
New York State is represented by the talented Archangel. A son of Credit Winner, has reeled off five wins in six seasonal starts without ever straying far from the Thruway.
The companion event, the Hudson Filly Trot, attracted three sophomore fillies, making it, too, a single scrum $185,194 event a week from Saturday.
The Hudson trio is comprised of Aunt Mel (Brent Holland), Check Me Out (Schnittker) and Real Babe (Schnittker also listed).
Check Me Out, the millionairess daughter of Donato Hanover, was last season's divisional champion in both Canada and the U.S. She enters fresh off a win in the $530,000 final of Mohawk Racetrack's Elegantimage Stakes, her 17th win (with three seconds) in 20 lifetime starts. Schnittker, co-owns (with Charles Iannazzo) and trains Check Me Out, who makes her small-track debut in the Hudson.
Post positions for both races will be drawn next Tuesday, July 3 during that evening's racing program.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)