France’s Etonnant made favorite in $1M International Trot

Harnesslink

06 September 2023

France’s Etonnant made favorite in $1M International Trot

France’s Etonnant (Timoko) drew post position two and has been installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot at MGM Yonkers Raceway. Saturday’s card also includes two $250,000 Invitationals for older harness racing horses – the Robert Miecuna Trot and the Aria Pace – and eight $225,000 New York Sire Stakes finals for 2- and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits.

Etonnant, a former Elitloppet champion, has won six of 10 starts this year, including in 1:51.3 over the mile distance in the Prix de Washington at Enghien-Soisy Racecourse on July 15. He also won his Elitloppet elimination at Solvalla Racecourse in 1:52 before finishing fifth in the final. This will be Etonnant’s second MGM Yonkers International Trot appearance as he raced in last year’s edition but made a break and wound up eighth.

“(Post) Two is a good number, maybe not such a good number for him, but we cannot be sad with post two. On the inside is a little bit scary (for his horse on a half-mile track), but I think we can handle it,” said Etonnant’s owner/trainer Richard Westerink, who finished second in the 2015 International Trot with Timoko, the sire of Etonnant.

Among Etonnant’s main rivals is Vivid Wise As (Yankee Glide), who is the richest horse in the field with over $3.1 million in the bank and is the third choice on the morning line at 4-1. Vivid Wise As drew post one for driver Matthieu Abrivard and trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro.

“Vivid Wise As is a very good horse also. He has a good draw on the inside,” added Westerink. “I hope we will have a great race and a great battle with the other horses, too.”

Jiggy Jog S (Walner) is a familiar horse to fans and followers of harness racing in North America as she has raced here for her entire career, but she was foaled in Sweden and will represent that country on Saturday. She will start from a trailing post nine and is 8-1 on the morning line.

“She’s a very, very strong filly, and we’re very pleased to have her in the barn. She loves to race and she’s fast,” offered Sarah Svanstedt, wife of trainer Ake Svanstedt. “Now she is 4 and facing a strong group of horses here, but girl power can be good. She has been going fast times and facing good horses. She’s got a strong mentality and is fast. I don’t really know if she really needs a specific way of racing. When she has her day, she’s strong and not many horses beat her. Now she has been off almost four weeks coming into this race, so we’re training her tough right now, and she’s ready to race.”

Dexter Dunn will have his familiar seat behind Jiggy Jog S, and Svanstedt said of their partnership, “They are a great team together, and he loves to race her, too. They have a connection.”

It’s Academic (Uncle Peter), who will be driven by David Miller for trainer Ron Burke, is one of two hopes for the United States in the field. The champion of this year’s Crawford Farms Open Trot, Spirit of Massachusetts and John Cashman Memorial is the second choice on the morning line at 7-2 and will depart from post three. It’s Academic, who also won the Tom Aldrich President’s Trot over the half-mile oval at MGM Northfield Park on August 12, was a fast-finishing third from the outside post eight in the 2022 MGM Yonkers International Trot.

The $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot will go as race seven on the 11-race program and at a distance of a mile and a quarter. The full field with their morning line odds, listed driver/trainer, sire and country is as follows:

$1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot – Race 7

1-Vivid Wise As (Yankee Glide) Matthieu Abrivard/Alessandro Gocciadoro), 4-1, Italy

2-Etonnant (Timoko) Anthony Barrier/Richard Westerink), 3-1, France

3-It’s Academic (Uncle Peter) David Miller/Ron Burke), 7-2, United States

4-Fashion Frenzie (Archangel) Louis-Philippe Roy/Nancy Takter, 20-1, Canada

5-Hierro Boko S (From Above) Hannu Korpi drives and trains), 8-1, Finland

6-Get A Wish DK (Wishing Stone) Bo Westergaard drives and trains), 15-1, Denmark

7-Aldebaran Zeus A (Muscle Hill) Chris Alford/Brent Lilley), 15-1, Australia

8-Bengurion Jet IT (Maharajah) Alessandro Gocciadoro drives and trains), 15-1, Italy

9-Jiggy Jog S (Walner) Dexter Dunn/Ake Svanstedt), 8-1, Sweden

10-Venerate (Love You) Brian Sears/Marcus Melander), 12-1, United States

Two races before the MGM Yonkers International Trot is the Robert Miecuna Invitational Trot, and it’s headlined by M-M’s Dream (post two, David Miller/Ron Burke). M-M’s Dream won the Hambletonian Maturity and the Steele Memorial at the Meadowlands earlier this summer, taking her mark of 1:50 flat in the latter event. She’ll face the likes of double millionaire Amigo Volo (post one, Dexter Dunn/Nifty Norman) and stablemate Hillexotic (post seven, Yannick Gingras).

Ten of the sport’s best older male pacers are slated to meet in the Aria Invitational Pace (race 10). Allywag Hanover (post three, Todd McCarthy/Brett Pelling) and Bythemissal (post six, Gingras/Burke) were third and second, respectively in last Saturday’s Canadian Pacing Derby at Woodbine Mohawk Park and renew acquaintances here. Covered Bridge (post 10, Jordan Stratton/Jeff Gillis) has had a great year on half-mile ovals, winning the Camluck Classic, Gold Cup and Saucer, and Kane Invitational, but will have to overcome the trailing post.

Both the Robert Miecuna and Aria Invitationals will be conducted at the distance of a mile and a quarter, and the full draws are as follows:

$250,000 Robert Miecuna Invitational Trot – Race 5

1-Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn/Nifty Norman)

2-M-M’s Dream (David Miller/Ron Burke)

3-Credit Con (Joe Bongiorno/Jenn Bongiorno)

4-Nows The Moment (Austin Siegleman/Allison MacDonald)

5-Take All Comers (Tim Tetrick/Jim Campbell)

6-Southwind Tyrion (Ake Svanstedt drives and trains)

7-Hillexotic (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)

8-Logan Park (Doug McNair/Rob Fellows)

9-Just For Trix (Andy Miller/Mike Murphy)

10-Stormy Kromer (Jason Bartlett/Paul Stafford)

AE-Flagman (Rick Plano drives and trains)

$250,000 Aria Invitational Pace – Race 10

1-None Bettor A (Jason Bartlett/Travis Alexander)

2-Leonidas A (Austin Siegelman/Steve Finkelstein)

3-Allywag Hanover (Todd McCarthy/Brett Pelling)

4-Whichwaytothebeach (Mark MacDonald/Garry Merner Jr.)

5-Stonebridge Helios (Dexter Dunn/Ake Svanstedt)

6-Bythemissal (Yannick Gingras/Ron Burke)

7-Linedrive Hanover (Brian Sears/Anthony Beaton)

8-Idealsomemagic A (George Brennan/Cory Stratton)

9-Poseidon Seelster (George Brennan/Nik Drennan)

10-Covered Bridge (Jordan Stratton/Jeff Gillis)

AE-Natameri (David Miller/Jessica Okusko)

Those three events will be joined by the annual New York Day of Champions that will crown the eight winners of the sire stakes program in the Empire State. The sire stakes finals, which all have a purse of $225,000, are races one through four, six, eight and nine and 11 on the card. The draws shook out as follows:

3YO Colt Pace presented by Blue Chip Farms – Race 11

1-Thunder Hunter Joe

2-Metal Man

3-Hurrikane Hunter

4-Taste Of Honey

5-Huntinthelastdolar

6-Goldin Greatness

7-Duval Street

8-It’s A Me Mario

AE-American Fling

3YO Filly Trot presented by Allerage Farms – Race 9

1-On The House