Yonkers Trot

The Yonkers Trot is a harness racing event for three-year-old Standardbred trotters raced at a distance of one mile at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York. The race was created in 1955 to join the Hambletonian and the Kentucky Futurity to form the new United States Trotting Triple Crown.

Yonkers Trot
LocationYonkers, New York
Inaugurated1955
Race typeHarness race for standardbred trotters
WebsiteEmpire City Casino
Race information
Distance1 mile
(1,609 metres or 8 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt, 1/2 mile oval
TrackYonkers Raceway
Qualification3 year olds
Purse$500,000 (2016)

Historical race events

Driven by Joe O'Brien, California runner Scott Frost followed up his victory in the Hambletonian Stakes with a win in the 1955 Yonkers Trot inaugural. The colt went on to win the Kentucky Futurity to become the first winner of the Trotting Triple Crown.[1]

In 1967, eight of the thirteen Yonkers Trot runners broke stride helping Harry Pownall, Sr. drive longshot Pomp to victory.[2]

Reminiscent of the day when Ron Turcotte aboard the legendary Thoroughbred Secretariat obliterated the Belmont Park track record by 2 3/5 seconds in winning the 1973 Belmont Stakes, in 1977 Billy Haughton drove Green Speed to a new Yonkers Trot record by the same 2 3/5 seconds margin.[3]

The 2000 Yonkers Trot saw Jacqueline Ingrassia become the first female driver to ever win a leg of a harness racing Triple Crown event when she guided Goalfish to victory.[4]

In 2016, Paula Wellwood became the first female trainer to win not only the Yonkers Trot but the U.S. Trotting Triple Crown with Marion Marauder.[5]

Due to renovations at Yonkers Raceway, the race was hosted by Hawthorne Race Course in Chicago. It was won by Windsong's Legacy who posted the fastest mile in the 34 years that harness racing had been run at the Hawthorne track.[6]

Race locations

Race distances

From inception in 1955 through 1962, the Yonkers Trot was raced over a distance of 1 1/16 miles (1710 metres).

Records
Most wins by a driver
Most wins by a trainer
  • 6 – Stanley Dancer (1959, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975)
Stakes record (1 mile)
  • 1:53 1/5 – Windsong's Legacy (2005 at Hawthorne)
  • 1:54 1/5 – Archangel (2012 at Yonkers)
Stakes record (1 1/16 miles)
  • 2:10 3/5 – Duke Rodney (1961 at Yonkers)

Yonkers Trot winners
Year
 Winner
 Driver
 Trainer
 Owner
 Time
 Purse
2021 Johan Palema Yannick Gingras Ake Svanstedt Bender Sweden Inc 1:55 $500,000
2020 cancelled
2019 Gimpanzee Brian Sears Marcus Melander Courant Inc. & SRF Stable 1:53 3/5 $500,000
2018 Six Pack Ake Svanstedt Ake Svanstedt Svanstedt, Little E, Stall Kalmar & Lars Berg. 1:54 $500,000
2017 Top Flight Angel Brian Sears Julie Miller Legendary Standardbred Farm 1:56 3/5 $500,000
2016 Marion Marauder Scott Zeron Paula Wellwood Jean Wellwood, Devin Keeler 1:56 1/5 $500,000
2015 Habitat Brian Sears Ron Burke Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, Weaver Bruscemi 1:54 4/5 $500,000
2014 Nuncio John Campbell Jimmy Takter Stall TZ Inc. (Stefan Melander) 1:56 0/0 $500,000
2013 Dewycolorintheline Ray Schnittker Ray Schnittker Schnittker, Iannazzo, Gewertz, Baldassare & Deweycheatumnhowe Stb. 1:57 3/5 $450,000
2012 Archangel Jim Morrill, Jr. Peter Arrigenna P. Arrigenna, Alan Hainsworth, & Clare Semer 1:54 1/5 $445,594
2011 Leader Of The Gang David Miller Jimmy Takter Christina Takter, Joyce McClelland, R A W Equine, Brixton Medical Ab 1:57 2/5 $445,474
2010 On The Tab David Miller Jimmy Takter Christina Takter, John Fielding, Louie Camara, Falkbolagen AB 1:58 4/5 $573,770
2009 Judge Joe Ronald Pierce Jimmy Takter Atlantic Trot, Inc. (Mario Zuanetti) 1:56 1/5 $670,774
2008 Napoleon Stéphane Bouchard Noel Daley Larry Thomases, Sidney Korn, John Guarniere, Ken Tucci 1:57 1/5 $605,854
2007 Green Day Catello Manzi James D. Raymer Trillium Racing Stable (James & Mary Raymer) 1:56 0/0 $644,770
2006 Glidemaster George Brennan Blair Burgess Robert Burgess, Karin-Olsson Burgess, Marsha Cohen, Brittany Farms 1:55 4/5 $728,930
2005 Strong Yankee Brian Sears Trond Smedshammer Strong Yankee Stable 1:56 1/5 $297,816
2004 Windsong's Legacy Trond Smedshammer Trond Smedshammer Ann Brannvoll, Ted Gewertz, Patricia Spinelli 1:53 1/5 $391,200
2003 Sugar Trader Catello Manzi John Brennan John Brennan, John Nordstrom, John Taddeo 1:58 3/5 $337,229
2002 Bubba Dunn Jeff Gregory Jeffrey Smith Ira Kristel 1:58 4/5 $338,626
2001 Banker Hall Trevor Ritchie Harold Lunde Tommy B. Andersson 1:59 1/5 $340,614
2000 Goalfish Jacqueline Ingrassia Frank Ingrassia Jacqueline Ingrassia 1:59 0/0 $345,403
1999 CR Renegade Rod Allen Carl E. Allen Carl & Rod Allen Stable 1:58 0/0 $273,891
1998 Muscles Yankee John Campbell Charles Sylvester Perretti Farms Inc, Irving G. Liverman & David French 1:57 3/5 $319,725
1997 Lord Stormont Douglas S. Brown Norman C. Jones Stormont Meadows (Eric Baker) 1:58 4/5 $291,948
1996 Continentalvictory Michel Lachance Ron Gurfein Continentalvictory Stable (D. Frost/H. Gold/R. & J. Silva/Stix Inc./Allister Stb.) 1:56 2/5 $334,700
1995 CR Kay Suzie Rod Allen Carl E. Allen Carl & Rod Allen Stable 1:56 0/0 $276,564
1994 Bullville Victory Catello Manzi Per Eriksson Graham Mottram, Tom Artandi, Palmer, Per Eriksson 1:58 2/5 $286,280
1993 American Winner Ronald Pierce Milton Smith Robert Key, & John Glesmann 1:56 2/5 $313,699
1992 Mc Cluckey (DH) Michel Lachance Joseph Holloway Robert Suslow 1:58 2/5 $370,265
1992 Magic Lobell (DH) Lorenzo Baldi Terje Fossheim 1:58 2/5
1991 Crown's Invitation Michel Lachance Jerry Riordan Louis P. Guida 1:59 3/5 $370,393
1990 Royal Troubador Carl E. Allen Carl E. Allen Carl & Rod Allen Stable 1:58 2/5 $424,965
1989 Valley Victory Bill O'Donnell Steve Elliott Arlene Traub 1:58 3/5 $418,810
1988 Southern Newton Berndt O. Lindstedt Jan Johnson Thor Christiansson 2:00 0/0 $431,495
1987 Mack Lobell John Campbell Charles Sylvester One More Time Stable (L. P. Guida, et al. & Fair Winds Farm (E. Mullen)) 1:57 4/5 $324,115
1986 Gunslinger Spur Richard L. Stillings Richard L. Stillings Roy D. Davis 2:00 4/5 $372,503
1985 Master Willie Jan Nordin Sören Nordin Dr. William & Ann Allen 1:59 3/5 $440,840
1984 Baltic Speed Jan Nordin Sören Nordin Baltic Farm 2:01 3/5 $431,780
1983 Joie De Vie William Gilmour Howard Beissinger Murray Siegel, Crown Stable, P. Nigito & Lana Lobell Farm 2:00 3/5 $486,150
1982 Mystic Park Frank O'Mara Frank O'Mara Allen Wechter, Dr. Robert Lester, Gerald & Irving Wechter 2:00 3/5 $415,160
1981 Mo Bandy Carl E. Allen Carl E. Allen Carl E. Allen 2:02 1/5 $284,701
1980 Nevele Impulse Richard Macomber Richard Macomber Karl Hubbert 2:03 2/5 $261,040
1979 Chiola Hanover James Allen Bill Vaughn Alnoff Stable (Michael, Bobby & Allan Chasanoff) 2:04 0/0 $237,765
1978 Speedy Somolli Howard Beissinger Howard Beissinger Ann Beissinger, Barbara Mumma, Alan J. Leavitt, William Rosenberg 1:59 3/5 $233,594
1977 Green Speed Billy Haughton Billy Haughton Mrs. Beverly Lloyds 1:59 0/0 $239,000
1976 Steve Lobell Billy Haughton Billy Haughton Mill Island Stable (Richard Herman & Murray Siegel) 2:01 4/5 $202,004
1975 Surefire Hanover Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Rachel L. Dancer & Rose Hild Breeding Farm. 2:03 0/0 $200,000
1974 Spitfire Hanover Delvin Miller Delvin Miller Delvin Miller 2:05 2/5 $125,821
1973 Tamerlane Charles W. Clark Charles W. Clark Bill & Madeline Shehan 2:04 4/5 $93,242
1972 Super Bowl Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Rachel L. Dancer & Rose Hild Breeding Farm 2:02 0/0 $93,097
1971 Quick Pride Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Stanley & Rachel Dancer/Raymond Gault/Blue Chip Farms/Hilda Silverstein 2:02 4/5 $110,795
1970 Victory Star Vernon J. Dancer Vernon J. Dancer Fury Stable (Newman Pearsall) 2:03 4/5 $106,770
1969 Lindy's Pride Howard Beissinger Howard Beissinger Lindy Farms, Inc. 2:03 0/0 $100,000
1968 Nevele Pride Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Nevele Acres & Louis Resnick 2:03 3/5 $150,000
1967 Pomp Harry E. Pownall, Sr. Harry E. Pownall, Sr. Arden Homestead Stable (E. Roland Harriman & Elbridge T. Gerry, Sr.) 2:04 4/5 $150,000
1966 Polaris George Sholty George Sholty Livio Battista 2:06 0/0 $123,375
1965 Noble Victory Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Kenneth D. Owen 2:02 0/0 $122,236
1964 Ayres John F. Simpson, Sr. John F. Simpson, Sr. Charlotte Sheppard 2:01 3/5 $116,691
1963 Speedy Scot Ralph N. Baldwin Ralph N. Baldwin Castleton Farm 2:03 3/5 $135,127
1962 A.C.'s Viking Sanders Russels Sanders Russels Mr. & Mrs. Andrew C. Petersen 2:10 4/5 $105,422
1961 Duke Rodney Edward T. Wheeler Edward T. Wheeler Patrick & Elisabeth DiGennaro 2:10 3/5 $100,330
1960 Duke of Decatur Delvin Miller Delvin Miller Walter T. Candler 2:13 3/5 $74,265
1959 John A. Hanover Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Dr. Nicholas & Angela Derrico 2:11 0/0 $56,397
1958 Spunky Hanover Howard Camper Robert Camper Fiesta Farm (Harold Large) 2:13 3/5 $56,157
1957 Hoot Song Ralph N. Baldwin Ralph N. Baldwin Two Gaits Farm (Leo C. McNamara) 2:16 1/5 $57,812
1956 Add Hanover John F. Simpson, Sr. John F. Simpson, Sr. A. C. Mudge 2:12 4/5 $77,170
1955 Scott Frost Joe O'Brien Joe O'Brien S. A. Camp Farms 2:12 0/0 $73,840

References
  1. Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame bio for Scott Frost Retrieved September 23, 2016
  2. Harness Racing Update.com September 2, 2016 article titled "Hollywood's Hits: Yonkers Trot through the years" Retrieved October 19, 2016
  3. Harness Racing Update.com September 2, 2016 article titled "Hollywood's Hits: Yonkers Trot through the years" Retrieved October 19, 2016
  4. New York Times August 27, 2000 article titled "Ingrassia Is First Woman To Win the Yonkers Trot" Retrieved October 17, 2016
  5. Harness Racing Update.com October 14, 2016 article titled "Hollywood's Hits: A deeper look at Marion Marauder's Triple Crown" Retrieved October 17, 2016
  6. Chicago Tribune August 29, 2004 article by Neil Milbert titled "Windsong's Legacy rolls in Yonkers" Retrieved October 17, 2016
  7. Chicago Tribune August 26, 2004 article titled "Trotting's Triple Crown takes trip to Hawthorne" Retrieved October 17, 2016
  8. USTA August 20, 2005 article by Don Bielak titled "Strong Yankee wins Yonkers Trot" Retrieved October 19, 2016
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.