Fields drawn for Brennan Series final, consolation

The post position draws for Wednesday’s (April 22) $100,000 final and $50,000 consolation of this year’s John Brennan Trotting Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway have taken place.

In the final, Kazio DK and Ma Isabelle, who won their divisions in both the second and third legs, landed right next to each other in posts 4 and 5. Co-owner Yannick Gingras is listed to drive Kazio DK, a 5-year-old Muscle Massive gelding, for trainer Ron Burke, while trainer Pat Lachance will also pilot Ma Isabelle, a 5-year-old Alarm Detector mare.

Additionally, Always A Story, a 4-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven who captured her split in leg one, has the pole for driver Tyler Buter and trainer Jared Bako, and Top Gun Hanover, who also tallied in the opening round before he skipped the final two prelims, will depart from post 7. Jason Bartlett is listed to drive the 4-year-old son of Walner for trainer Per Engblom.

The full field for the final, with listed drivers and trainers, is as follows:

$100,000 John Brennan Trotting Series Final (Race 7)
1. Always A Story (Tyler Buter, Jared Bako)
2. Velociraptor (Colin Kelly, Cote Keim)
3. Green Mel (Scott Zeron, Ron Burke)
4. Kazio DK (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
5. Ma Isabelle (Pat Lachance, Pat Lachance)
6. Alimony Mike (Matt Kakaley, Scott DiDomenico)
7. Top Gun Hanover (Jason Bartlett, Per Engblom)
8. Zenmeister S (Jason Bartlett, Per Engblom)

The consolation is led by Commodus A, who landed post 7 for Bartlett and Engblom. The 5-year-old Father Patrick gelding finished in the runner-up spot in his splits in both the second and third legs.

The full consolation group is as follows – note there is a pari-mutuel entry of Halfadozen and Belmondo in the race.

$50,000 John Brennan Trotting Series Consolation (Race 2)
1. Pierre In Paris (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
2. Halfadozen (Daniel Dubé, Daniel Dubé)
3. Crazy Brother Jim (Steve Smith, Chris Freck)
4. Exquisite Taste (Pat Lachance, Pat Lachance)
5. Sunday’s Brunch (Jordan Stratton, Cory Stratton)
6. Belmondo (Brent Holland, Deborah Daguet)
7. Commodus A (Jason Bartlett, Per Engblom)
8. Diplomacy (Jason Bartlett, Per Engblom)

After being contested at 1-1/4 miles in 2025, the final and consolation will go back to the standard mile distance this year.

The John Brennan Trotting Series is named in honor of the longtime Standardbred Owners Association of New York horsemen’s representative who passed away from complications of COVID-19 in March 2020.

Stakes action is also on deck at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Friday (April 17) and Monday (April 20) with the fourth leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series and MGM Borgata Pacing Series, respectively. The McIntyre has three $50,000 splits, as does the Borgata.

The John Brennan Trotting Series final and consolation will be the headline events of the final Wednesday program at Yonkers for a few weeks as the oval will switch to a Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-through-Saturday schedule beginning the week of April 27 and continuing through the week of June 8, when the Monday through Friday slate returns. Those Saturday programs in May and the first week in June will have post time at 3:30 p.m.

Until then, MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday-through-Friday live racing schedule with post time each night at 6:45 p.m.