MGM Yonkers International Trot Day Preview: $1 Million Field and $2.4 Million NYSS Finals
Yonkers Raceway puts up more than $3.8 million in purses on Saturday, September 12, and the $1,000,000 Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot is just the headliner. The card also carries two $200,000 Grade 2 invitationals, the Bob Miecuna Trot and the Aria Pace, plus the $2.4 million New York Sire Stakes finals across eight divisions for two and three year old trotters and pacers. The first race goes off at noon, and the International Trot is the featured Race 8, with a post time listed at 3:23 p.m. ET.
Inside the $1 Million MGM Yonkers International Trot
The International Trot runs at a mile and a quarter and pulls its field from six countries most years, and 2026 is no exception. Defending champion Lexus Kody heads back in off a half length win last year, when he led from post one all the way around under driver Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke, stopping the clock in 2:24 4/5 as the first Canadian bred winner since Yonkers Raceway revived the race in 2015. He beat Diva EK by half a length, with Powwow third and Gio Cash fourth.
All four of last year's top finishers are back. Diva EK, trained and driven by Alessandro Gocciadoro for Italy, gets another shot after finishing second. Powwow, representing Norway for trainer Jan Waaler with Åke Svanstedt driving, was third. Gio Cash, a seven year old German runner for Carpe Diem Stable with 17 wins from 37 career starts, was fourth last year after what trainer Daniel Wäjersten called a rough trip, and he arrives off a win in Sweden's Arjängs Stora Sprinter in July. Wäjersten hands the lines to Netherlands based driver Robin Bakker for this year's race.
Super Chapter, the reigning Dan Patch Award winner for the United States, joins the field for trainer Marcus Melander with Dexter Dunn driving, giving the home team a live threat alongside Lexus Kody. Melander also trains Bourbonista, with Scott Zeron up. The rest of the international contingent includes Hooker Berry for France, trained and driven by Antoine Lhéreté, Mellby Jinx for Sweden with Daniel Wäjersten both training and driving, and Antognoni S, trained by Ron Burke and driven by Yannick Gingras.
Post positions for the ten horse field: 1 Lexus Kody (Jason Bartlett, Ron Burke), 2 Gio Cash (Robin Bakker, Daniel Wäjersten), 3 Hooker Berry (Antoine Lhéreté, Antoine Lhéreté), 4 Bourbonista S (Scott Zeron, Marcus Melander), 5 Super Chapter (Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander), 6 Mellby Jinx S (Daniel Wäjersten, Daniel Wäjersten), 7 Powwow (Åke Svanstedt, Jan Waaler), 8 Diva EK (Alessandro Gocciadoro, Alessandro Gocciadoro), 9 Antognoni S (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke) and 10 Betting Pacer S (Björn Goop, Björn Goop), a late addition to fill the field. Morning line odds had not been posted as of this writing. We'll add them once Yonkers releases the official program.
| Post | Horse | Country | Driver | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexus Kody | Canada | Jason Bartlett | Ron Burke | TBC |
| 2 | Gio Cash | Germany | Robin Bakker | Daniel Wäjersten | TBC |
| 3 | Hooker Berry | France | Antoine Lhéreté | Antoine Lhéreté | TBC |
| 4 | Bourbonista S | Sweden | Scott Zeron | Marcus Melander | TBC |
| 5 | Super Chapter | United States | Dexter Dunn | Marcus Melander | TBC |
| 6 | Mellby Jinx S | Sweden | Daniel Wäjersten | Daniel Wäjersten | TBC |
| 7 | Powwow | Norway | Åke Svanstedt | Jan Waaler | TBC |
| 8 | Diva EK | Italy | Alessandro Gocciadoro | Alessandro Gocciadoro | TBC |
| 9 | Antognoni S | United States | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke | TBC |
| 10 | Betting Pacer S | Sweden | Björn Goop | Björn Goop | TBC |
Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot, $1,000,000 purse, a mile and a quarter, Race 8, post time listed at 3:23 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 12. Morning line odds are TBC pending the official Yonkers program.
The Two $200,000 Invitationals
Aria Invitational Pace
The Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace runs as Race 6, also at a mile and a quarter for a $200,000 purse. The ten horse field draws from post one to ten as follows: Best Chip (Joe Bongiorno, Joe Bongiorno), Go Go Grasshopper (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley, Travis Alexander), Fifth And Five (Scott Zeron, Enrico Robinson), Hemsworth N (Scott Zeron, Jared Bako), Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett, Petter Engblom), Sweet Beach Life (Matt Kakaley, Travis Alexander), Aye Aye Captain N (Todd McCarthy, Ricky Bucci), Captinhammerhead A (Dexter Dunn, Scott Blackler) and Mossdale Ben N (Jim Marohn Jr., Peter Tritton).
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best Chip | Joe Bongiorno | Joe Bongiorno | TBC |
| 2 | Go Go Grasshopper | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke | TBC |
| 3 | Howlenthehills | Matt Kakaley | Travis Alexander | TBC |
| 4 | Fifth And Five | Scott Zeron | Enrico Robinson | TBC |
| 5 | Hemsworth N | Scott Zeron | Jared Bako | TBC |
| 6 | Coaches Corner | Jason Bartlett | Petter Engblom | TBC |
| 7 | Sweet Beach Life | Matt Kakaley | Travis Alexander | TBC |
| 8 | Aye Aye Captain N | Todd McCarthy | Ricky Bucci | TBC |
| 9 | Captinhammerhead A | Dexter Dunn | Scott Blackler | TBC |
| 10 | Mossdale Ben N | Jim Marohn Jr. | Peter Tritton | TBC |
Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace, $200,000 purse, a mile and a quarter, Race 6 on Saturday, September 12. Morning line odds are TBC pending the official Yonkers program.
Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot
The Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot follows as Race 7, same distance and purse. Its field: Southwind Coors (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke), My Degenerate (Andy Miller, Julie Miller), Devilish Hill (Jason Bartlett, Petter Engblom), Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett, Linda Toscano), Uncle Rat (Matt Kakaley, Travis Alexander), Up Your Deo (Åke Svanstedt, Åke Svanstedt), Asteroid (Colin Kelly, Enrico Robinson), Aetos Kronos S (Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander), Benjamin Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Scott DiDomenico) and Ari Ferrari J (Tyler Buter, Peter Alagna). As with the International Trot, morning line odds for both invitationals will be added once Yonkers posts them.
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwind Coors | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke | TBC |
| 2 | My Degenerate | Andy Miller | Julie Miller | TBC |
| 3 | Devilish Hill | Jason Bartlett | Petter Engblom | TBC |
| 4 | Sir Pinocchio | Jason Bartlett | Linda Toscano | TBC |
| 5 | Uncle Rat | Matt Kakaley | Travis Alexander | TBC |
| 6 | Up Your Deo | Åke Svanstedt | Åke Svanstedt | TBC |
| 7 | Asteroid | Colin Kelly | Enrico Robinson | TBC |
| 8 | Aetos Kronos S | Dexter Dunn | Marcus Melander | TBC |
| 9 | Benjamin Hanover | Tim Tetrick | Scott DiDomenico | TBC |
| 10 | Ari Ferrari J | Tyler Buter | Peter Alagna | TBC |
Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot, $200,000 purse, a mile and a quarter, Race 7 on Saturday, September 12. Morning line odds are TBC pending the official Yonkers program.
$2.4 Million New York Sire Stakes Finals
Eight New York Sire Stakes finals run on the same card, each worth $300,000, split across two year old and three year old trotters and pacers for both colts and fillies. In the two year old colt trot, Dan Daley runs a coupled entry of T Money from post two and Archon from post five, with Archon the one to watch after winning the last preliminary at Yonkers on August 31. Uncle Rob breaks from the rail for trainer Julie Miller.
The three year old colt trot draws Åke Svanstedt's coupled Seven Grand, post two, and Read The Room, post eight, against Ron Burke and Yannick Gingras's AI from post three. AI won last year's two year old colt trot final at Batavia and has one win from eight starts this season. The three year old colt pace goes to post with Cooperstown Boy in post two chasing his third straight sire stakes win, and Fragment breaking from the rail for trainer Petter Engblom.
Kountry Plunge starts from post one in the two year old filly trot carrying a four for four record for trainer and driver Åke Svanstedt. In the two year old filly pace, Yannick Gingras drives a coupled entry of Hurrikane Schmazy from the rail and Fendilicious from post two. The three year old filly pace draws Odds On Monetary from post one for Travis Alexander, with Ron Burke and Gingras's Saulsbrook Rolo breaking from post eight.
Sharp Seven breaks from post five in the three year old filly trot chasing back to back sire stakes titles for trainer George Ducharme, with Ron Burke and Gingras's Chant drawing the rail and Åke Svanstedt running a coupled entry of Who Dares Wins, post four, and Flying Copper, post six. The two year old colt pace rounds out the card, with Ron Burke and Gingras's Rose Run Cowboy from post four and Travis Alexander sending out both Bastonata Bluechip from the rail and Primacy Station from post five.
Betting the Card
The International Trot is the hardest race of the day to read on paper because you're comparing European closers who've been racing on a mile track against North American speed like Lexus Kody and Super Chapter who know the Yonkers half mile oval cold. Lexus Kody's rail to wire style worked last year, and post one again gives him first run at dictating the pace. Gio Cash is the wild card. He's fast enough to win this outright if his trip breaks clean, something that didn't happen last year. The two invitationals are loaded with familiar Yonkers based trainers like Ron Burke, Travis Alexander and Marcus Melander, so recent form at this specific track carries extra weight there.
Bet MGM Yonkers International Trot Day
Ten horses, six countries, one $1 million trophy, and $2.8 million more on the line across the invitationals and the sire stakes finals. This is one of the deepest harness racing cards of the year.
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
The International Trot is Race 8 on the September 12 card at Yonkers Raceway, with a listed post time of 3:23 p.m. ET. The first race of the day goes off at noon.
Lexus Kody won the 2025 MGM Yonkers International Trot for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke, leading from post one to win by half a length in 2:24 4/5. He's back to defend his title in 2026.
The International Trot is a Grade 1 event worth $1,000,000, run at a mile and a quarter. It anchors a card that also includes two $200,000 invitationals and $2.4 million in New York Sire Stakes finals.
The ten horse field represents six countries: Canada (Lexus Kody), the United States (Super Chapter, Betting Pacer S), Germany (Gio Cash), France (Hooker Berry), Sweden (Bourbonista S, Mellby Jinx S) and Norway (Powwow), with Italy's Diva EK also entered.
The New York Sire Stakes finals are eight separate $300,000 championship races for two and three year old New York bred trotters and pacers, colts and fillies, run on the same September 12 card as the International Trot for a combined $2.4 million in purses.
