Friday Harness Tips: Both Triple Crowns Kick Off at Yonkers
Our Friday harness tips for June 26: the Yonkers Trot and Grand Messenger open both Triple Crowns, plus the rest of the night's stakes action and where to bet it.
Friday Night Is Harness Night
Forget the thoroughbreds for one night. Friday June 26 belongs to the standardbreds, and it is a big one. Yonkers Raceway opens both harness Triple Crowns on the same card, the trotters in the MGM Yonkers Trot and the pacers in the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes. Two classic series, two fresh crops of sophomores, one half-mile bullring where the draw can make or break your bet. Post time is 6:45pm ET.
This is the kind of night that rewards punters who do the homework. The Yonkers half-mile is unforgiving. Early speed and a good post matter more here than almost anywhere else in the sport, and we have built our tips around exactly that. Here is how Friday shapes up.
MGM Yonkers Trot: Trotting Triple Crown, Leg One
The $300,000 Grade 2 Yonkers Trot is the headline act and the opening leg of the Trotting Triple Crown. No eliminations were needed, so the field advances straight to the final over 1¼ miles.
| Race | Our Pick | Post | The Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Yonkers Trot (G2, $300k) | Spencer Hanover | 9 (2nd tier) | Four-for-four in 2026 and the class of the field. The awkward second-line draw is the only worry. Bartlett to find a way. AI and Ardonne the savers if he gets parked. |
| MGM Grand Messenger (G2, $200k) | Fragment | 2 | Top juvenile last year, perfect rail-side draw on a track that prizes early speed. Al Papi off gate 3 the obvious danger for the Burke barn. |
Spencer Hanover is the one they all have to beat. The Marcus Melander colt is four-for-four in 2026 and his class is not in question. The problem is the draw. He starts from the second tier off post nine, and on a half-mile track that is a real ask. Jason Bartlett will need to produce one of his trademark drives to overcome it. Back him to do it, but respect the trip.
The dangers are obvious. AI, last year's New York Sire Stakes champion, lands post seven for Yannick Gingras and Ron Burke. Ardonne, the 2025 William Wellwood Memorial winner, drew post eight for Scott Zeron. Ake Svanstedt fires a three-pronged attack with Create Escape, Secured and Nordic Dancer S, and Matthew Burkholder brings the live pair of Requiem and Silverstein. If Spencer Hanover gets parked, one of these gets the gift.
MGM Grand Messenger Stakes: Pacing Triple Crown, Leg One
The $200,000 Grade 2 Grand Messenger opens the Pacing Triple Crown, and the inside draws look golden. Fragment landed barrier two and could not have asked for more. The Per Engblom colt was among the best juveniles in North America last season, winning on both the New York circuit and the Grand Circuit, and he is ideally placed to launch his Triple Crown campaign from there.
| Race | Type | The Angle |
|---|---|---|
| New York New York Mile | 3yo trotting fillies, ~$100k | Best of the sophomore trotting fillies. Same half-mile rule applies: back early speed off a good post. Check the live card for the draw. |
| Park MGM Pace | 3yo pacing fillies, ~$100k | The filly pacing feature. Trip-dependent on the Yonkers bullring. Inside draws hold a clear edge here too. |
| Ashley T. Cole (Aqueduct) | Thoroughbred NY-bred, $150k | The one thoroughbred stakes on Friday at the final Belmont at the Big A meet. Companion John Hettinger ($150k) runs Saturday 27 June. |
Ron Burke holds a strong hand again with three runners. North America Cup finalists Al Papi and Melillo both return, and Frantic Hanover rounds out the trio. Al Papi looks the pick of them from gate three, drawn inside his stablemates. Mighty Matt, Apocalypsebluechip and Hunt Off The Press complete the field, but on a track that prizes early position this much, the Fragment and Al Papi draws are the ones to build around.
The Yonkers Filly Features
The card is not done there. The New York New York Mile brings together the season's best three-year-old trotting fillies, and the Park MGM Pace does the same for the pacing fillies. Both are quality supporting features in the $100,000 range and both reward the same half-mile logic: early speed and a clean trip. Check the live cards for fields and prices before the off.
Over at the Big A: Ashley T. Cole
If you want a thoroughbred angle to round out Friday, Aqueduct hosts the $150,000 Ashley T. Cole for New York-breds during the final ever Belmont at the Big A meet. It is a single stakes on an otherwise quiet Friday card before the big weekend kicks in. The companion John Hettinger ($150,000) for New York-breds runs Saturday June 27, not Friday, so save that one for your weekend slip.
Bet Friday Night Harness at MyWinners
Two Triple Crowns opening on one card does not come around often, and MyWinners has every race priced up. We cover the full Yonkers harness program, the Yonkers Trot and Grand Messenger plus the filly features, and the Ashley T. Cole over at the Big A. One account, every race on the night.
Win and place, exactas, trifectas, superfectas, plus the double across the two Triple Crown openers. The Yonkers half-mile throws up trip-dependent results and that means prices, so there is real value to be found if you read the draw right. Take Fragment off the rail, side with Spencer Hanover to overcome the trip, or build a Trot-Messenger double that ties the night together. Get your account set up and your bets in before 6:45pm ET.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Friday 26 June at Yonkers Raceway features the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot and the $200,000 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes, the opening legs of the Trotting and Pacing Triple Crowns, plus the New York New York Mile and Park MGM Pace filly features. Post time is 6:45pm ET.
Harness racing has two separate Triple Crowns for three-year-olds, one for trotters and one for pacers. The Yonkers Trot is the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown and the Grand Messenger is the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown, so Friday opens both series on one card.
Spencer Hanover is the standout. The Marcus Melander colt is four-for-four in 2026, though he must overcome an awkward second-tier draw from post nine. AI and Ardonne are the main dangers if he gets parked.
Yonkers is a half-mile track, so the turns come quickly and there is less room to make up ground. Early speed and an inside draw carry a premium, which is why the rail-side posts for Fragment and Al Papi in the Grand Messenger stand out.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners iOS or Android app, or in person at Winners venues across Connecticut. Online betting is open to all customers aged 18 and over.
