The harness racing field is set for the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot with reigning O’Brien Award winner Logan Park (Archangel) representing Canada in post position five in the 1-1/4-mile race this Saturday, Sept. 7 at Yonkers Raceway.
Logan Park, a career winner of 31 races and more than $1.35 million, is trained by the father and son team of Rob and Kyle Fellows for owners Outofthepark Stable of Rockwood, Ont., breeder Reg Higgs of Ilderton, Ont., and Arpad Szabo of Bradford, Ont. The six-year-old millionaire has hit the board in all 11 of his starts this year, winning seven times. In addition to winning multiple Preferreds at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Logan Park was victorious in the Earl Rowe Memorial at Georgian Downs and an elimination for the Maple Leaf Trot elimination followed by a third-place finish in last Saturday’s final at Mohawk. Canada’s reigning Older Trotter of the Year did compete on last year’s Yonkers International undercard. He will be driven by Doug McNair of Guelph, Ont.
Another trotter in the field with Canadian ties is Its Academic, who will start from post six for owner Brad Grant of Milton. Ont. A career winner of 32 races and more than $2.6 million, the reigning U.S. Older Male Trotter of the Year finished third in his Yonkers International debut in 2022 and was fourth in last’s year edition. Racing mostly stateside, the seven-year-old son of Uncle Peter is trained by Ron Burke and is one of two U.S. representatives in the field.
This past weekend’s Maple Leaf Trot champion Periculum is the other and the five-year-old son of Muscle Hill will start from the trailing post 10 for trainer Marcus Melander. An 11-time winner with $863,543 earned, Periculum has faced international competition before, competing abroad in Sweden and Finland last year. He is owned by Brixton Medical Inc. of Matawan, New Jersey and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. of Vero Beach, Florida.
The field also includes trotting mare Jiggy Jog S, who is familiar to followers of harness racing in North America and will represent Sweden from post four. Trained by Ake Svanstedt in the U.S., the five-year-old daughter of Walner is undefeated in four starts this year, including a 1:49.2 victory at The Meadowlands in the John Cashman Memorial — the fourth fastest mile ever by a mare trotter. The reigning U.S. Older Trotting Mare of the Year boasts a lifetime record reading 22-10-2 from 39 starts with more than $2.7 million in earnings for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc. of Wrightstown, New Jersey, Steve Stewart of Paris, Kentucky, John Lengacher of Grabill, Indiana and Hickory Hollow Stables of Spencerville, Indiana.
Castor The Star (post three) and Hail Mary (post seven) will also represent Sweden.
The other international stars joining the lineup include France’s Eclat De Gloire (post one) and Ideal San Leandro (post two), Italy’s Vernissage Grif (post eight) and Denmark’s Get A Wish (trailing post nine).
Here is a look at the field for the Yonkers International Trot.
$1 million USD MGM Yonkers International Trot
Post – Horse (Country)
1. Eclat De Gloire (by Tiego d’Etang, rep. France)
2. Ideal San Leandro (by Timoko, rep. France)
3. Castor The Star (by Maharajah, rep. Sweden)
4. Jiggy Jog S (by Walner, rep. Sweden)
5. Logan Park (by Archangel, rep. Canada)
6. Its Academic (by Uncle Peter, rep. USA)
7. Hail Mary (by Googoo Gaagaa, rep. Sweden)
8. Vernissage Grif (by Varenne, rep. Italy)
9.] Get A Wish (by Wishing Stone, rep. Denmark)
10.] Periculum (by Muscle Hill, rep. USA)
The Yonkers International will headline the Saturday afternoon program that also includes a pair of $250,000 USD Invitationals for older horses and the $1.8 million USD finals of the New York Sire Stakes. Post time will be 12:15 p.m EDT.
From Standardbred Canada