Normally, Captain Albano’s capping off a three-for-three run through the preliminaries of the MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series would be the top story, but instead it was the tandem of leading harness racing driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Per Engblom that took the marquee as they won three of the four $50,000 divisions on Monday evening (December 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with Coaches Corner, Redwood Hanover and Huntinthelastdolar.
Coaches Corner (Always a virgin) won the second section in 1:52. After a battle with Soho Firestone A (Todd McCarthy) in the 27.3 quarter, Coaches Corner established and retained command through the middle half stations of 56.1 and 1:24.3. Soho Firestone A tried to chase Coaches Corner from the pocket in the lane, but to no avail as Coaches Corner beat him by 2 1/4 lengths. Blazing Home N (Jordan Stratton), Tip Top Cat (Yannick Gingras) and Verdun completed the order.
COACHES ANGLE REPEAT
Coaches Corner, trained by Engblom, is a 5-year-old gelding son of Always A Virgin owned by Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey. Coaches Corner, bred in Indiana by Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stable, made his 34th trip to the winner’s circle on his 91st attempt and he now has $1,358,987 in his pocket. He returned $2.68 to win as the 1-5 pick and topped a $3.14 exacta and an $8.16 trifecta.
Redwood Hanover was a 1:52 3/5 winner ahead of Bartlett and Engblom in the next split. Redwood Hanover posted splits of 28, 56.3 and 1:24.3 and then held off a rally by pocket sitter Catalpa Rescue A (McCarthy). Mossdale Ben N (Stratton) was third from the first over, followed by Nandolo N (Lauren Tritton) and Hemsworth N (Austin Siegelman).
A 5 year old Stay hungry Redwood Hanover is a stallion bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and is owned by Evans Nation with Engblom Stable LLC. and Hickory Hollow Stables. He has a record of 16-6-13 from 65 appearances, has $502,053 in his bank account and paid $2.20 to win as 1-9 favorite. He led a $33 exacta and a $71.20 trifecta.
REDWOOD HANOVER REPEAT
Huntinthelastdolar completed Bartlett/Engblom’s hat trick with a score of 1:53.4 in the final flight. He faced his five foes in the 27.4 quarter, 57.2 half and 1:25.3 three quarters and a final kicker of 28.1 put him a length and three quarters ahead of the first over Spring Inhis Step A (McCarthy). The top five was completed by Sherlock N (Jim Marohn Jr.), Jamaican Rock A (Matt Kakaley) and Always A Thrill (Colin Kelly).
Engblom fielded Huntinthelastdolar, a 5-year-old gelding son of Huntsville, for owners E Five Racing and John Fielding. The Crawford Farms-bred Huntinthelastdolar is a 23-time winner from 70 runs out of the gate, putting up $1,130,468 and returning $2.32 to win as 1-9 favorite. The exacta was worth $3.90 and the trifecta was $11.38.
HUNINTHELASTDOLAR REPEAT
As for Captain Albano, he won in 1:52.3 in the opening test of the evening. With McCarthy on the bike he finished third while Calicojack Hanover (Dan Dube) finished the opening half of 27 seconds 56.1. McCarthy sent Captain Albano out first and went to the 1:24.2 three-quarter, and Captain Albano was worn out and went past Calicojack Hanover on the final turn. From then on it was all Captain Albano as he pulled away to a 5 3/4 length victory over a tiring Calicojack Hanover, with Captain Moore A (Kelly) in third. Endofstory (Bartlett) came fourth and The Greek Freak (Kakaley) came fifth.
Noel Daley trains Captain Albano, a 4-year-old son of Captaintreacherous bred by Fred Hertrich III, for owners Patricia Stable, LA Express & Sjoblom Inc., Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan. Captain Albano, winner of the Dan Patch Award in 2023 and 2024, now has 26 wins from 44 starts, having earned $2,105,823 and returning $2.26 to win as 1-9 favorite. He keyed in an exacta of $12 and a trifecta of $51.02.
Unofficially, the ten horses that advanced to the $250,000 MGM Grand Prix Series Final, which will be held at a mile and a quarter on Friday, December 19, are:
Captain Albano (150 points)
Coaches corner (125 points)
Huntinthelastdolar (125 points)
Redwood Hanover (112 points)
Soho Firestone A (100 points)
Spring Inhis Step A (83 points)
Mossdale Ben N (62 points)
Calicojack Hannover (50 points)
Catalpa Rescue A (35 points)
Always a sensation (32 points)
Points for the series were earned on a scale of 50-25-12-8-5 (winner gets 50 points, runner-up gets 25, etc.), and a horse had to race in all three legs to qualify for the finals and the $75,000 consolation prize, which will also take place during that December 19 program. The same conditions apply to the accompanying MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series.
The final leg of the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series takes place on Friday evening (December 12) at MGM Yonkers Raceway, with a trio of $50,000 divisions set to take place in races four, six and seven of the 11-race schedule.
MGM Yonkers Raceway is in the final two weeks of the 2025 race and outside of the Friday, December 19 schedule, which now starts at 2:15 PM (EST), the post time for the remainder of the Monday through Friday action will be the first race’s post time at 6:45 PM (EST).
For full race results, click here: American trotting results.
By Yonkers Race Track
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