With the National Hockey League regular season wrapping up and the playoffs on the horizon, it's only fitting that driver Yannick Gingras netted a hat trick in round two of the John Brennan Trotting Series on Wednesday night, April 17 at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
Gingras and Ontario-bred Sea Can started off the five $34,247 divisions by winning the opener in 1:55.4. The lone non-repeater in the series, Sea Can is a five-year-old Muscle Mass gelding trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. He paid $2.70 to win as the 1-5 choice.
Burke and Gingras struck again later on the program when Ontario-bred Warrawee Yang took command before the quarter and never looked back on his way to a 1:56.3 victory. Also owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, Warrawee Yang, who is now on a six-race win streak, is a four-year-old son of Trixton. He returned $2.20 to win as the 1-9 choice.
Tachyon (pictured above) gave Gingras his third Brennan Series score when he took the fourth section in 1:55.2. Ricky Bucci trains Tachyon, a five-year-old gelding by Muscle Hill for owner Flatland Racing. Tachyon paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favourite.
Resolve To Win (returned $14 to win) was sent off at 6-1 in the second split but led throughout from post seven and stopped the clock in 1:57. Tyler Buter drove the four-year-old Resolve gelding for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing.
In the final flight, five-year-old Royalty For Life gelding Royalty Beer romped on the front-end in 1:55.3 for trainer/driver Pat Lachance and owner Jean-Francois Maguire of Acton, Ont. The Quebec-bred trotter paid $3.70 to win as the 4-5 choice.
The John Brennan Trotting Series, which has one more prelim prior to the $55,000 USD-added final on May 2, is named in honour of the longtime Standardbred Owners Association of New York horsemen's representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020. The series is for three-year-olds and older who were non-winners of six pari-mutuel races or $200,000 USD through Feb. 1, 2024, with winners over $250,000 USD as of that date not eligible.
One of the biggest nights on the calendar at Yonkers is ahead on Monday, April 22 as the $457,000 USD MGM Borgata Pacing Series and $276,200 USD Blue Chip Matchmaker Series finals, plus their consolations, are scheduled to take place.
Live harness racing is held at Yonkers on a Monday through Friday basis with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT).
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)