Yonkers, NY – The MGM Yonkers International Trot welcomes its third participant as Norway’s Powwow joins the field for the Grade 1 event scheduled for September 12 at MGM Yonkers Raceway. The son of 2015 MGM Yonkers International Trot winner Papagayo E, Powwow is making a second run at the $1million race after finishing third behind Lexus Kody in the 2025. For owner Tom Andersen, losing by less than a length last year, combined with the prestige of the race, sparked his decision to return. “In Europe we call the race Yonkers International Trot the “Word Championship of Trotting” and as such the winner of the race is World Champion,” said Andersen on the race’s importance. “Powwow showed that Yonkers Raceway suits him and of course we love to compete against the best horses in the world.” A 6-year-old trained by Jan Kristian Whaaler, Powwow has a career record of 23-2-6-5. While the win stats don’t jump off the page, the level of the competition he has been facing does. “This year Powwow has started six times at the top international level. His form is very good and we expect to have him in top condition on September 12,” said Andersen, who added that Powwow will compete in the $300,000 Åby Stora Pris on August 15 at 3,140 meters (approx. two miles) before shipping to New York. “Team Powwow’s Norwegian slogan is “Alt Er Mulig” – this means Anything is possible,” said Andersen. “The start in the Yonkers International Trot will be the 25th for Powwow. Can he do as his father Papagayo E did in his 25th start and win the race as well?” Powwow joins Diva Ek and Bourbonista in the lineup for the MGM Yonkers International Trot. More invitations will be extended in the coming days to complete the 10-horse field. The race will be the focal point of a stellar card on September 12 that starts at 11:50 a.m. (EDT) and includes the $2.4 million New York Sire Stakes finals for 2- and 3-year-olds as well as a pair of $200,000 Invitationals – Bob Miecuna Trot and Aria Pace. MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Saturday racing schedule with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT) every night except Saturday when post time is 3:30 p.m.

Diva Ek becomes the second to accept invitation to 2026 MGM Yonkers International Trot

2026 MGM Yonkers International Trot field will include Bourbonista S

Yonkers, NY – In just over eight weeks (Sept. 12), some of the best trotters in the world will gather at MGM Yonkers Raceway for the $1 million Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot. While the complete field won’t be known for some time, Bourbonista S will be one of the 10 invitees after her connections accepted an invitation from track management. “We were just happy to get the invitation,” said co-owner Jens Glud Hansen, who races under the banner of Panamera Racing, an homage to the popular Porsche sports car. Hansen is no stranger to racing in the MGM Yonkers International Trot as his Kennedy S finished fifth in the event back in 2022. It will, however, be co-owner Michael Gulotta’s (Deo Volente Farms LLC) first taste of the race. “I feel very blessed to own a horse like her,” said Gulotta. Hansen owns the Selected Sales auction company in Denmark and suggested to Gulotta that Bourbonista S would be a wise purchase. He agreed and the 50/50 partnership was made after purchasing the horse for approximately $200,000 USD. “She was a good horse in Scandinavia and was second and third to Allegiant as a 4-year-old,” said Hansen. “I said to Mike, ‘I think she can go 1:50 or maybe even 1:49 on a good day at the Red Mile.’” As it turns out, Hansen’s prediction fell well short of Bourbonista S’s capability. In the Six Pack on July 4 at The Meadowlands, the 5-year-old daughter of Face Time Bourbon displayed speed at both ends of the mile en route to a 1:48.4 victory with Dexter Dunn in the bike. The final time made her the fastest female trotter in North American history. Trainer Marcus Melander, who got the horse at the start of 2026 after some lackluster results in another U.S. barn, pointed out how he tapped into Bourbonista S’s raw pool of ability. “It took about five or six weeks until she really turned things around and we could start training on the sand track and in the deep sand. When she really turned the corner and started taking to her training well, she got stronger and stronger,” said Melander, who added that the decision to remove her shoes made a huge difference in her performance. Bourbonista S raced without shoes for the first time on May 23 over a sloppy track at the Meadowlands and finished second. Since then, she has won two stakes races ( Six Pack and Armbro Flight), both impressively by more than three lengths. Despite being a big filly according to Melander, Bourbonista S wears very little equipment and he expects her to get around the smaller Yonkers Raceway oval without issue. The trainer also feels that the track surface should be conducive to sticking with the “no shoes” protocol. “I’d say the track’s been good there when I’ve shown up for Sire Stakes and (International Trot) day they usually have the track really good,” said Melander. Bourbonista S, who was bred in Denmark to a Swedish-registered mare, will represent Sweden in the MGM Yonkers International Trot. She owns a 7-3-2-1 record and has earned $158,240 in 2026. Her upcoming schedule includes a leg of the Miss Versatility Series on Aug. 1 and Dr. John R. Steele Memorial on Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands. Invitations are in the works to fill out the 10-horse field for the MGM Yonkers International Trot and more horses will be announced in the coming days and weeks. The race will be the focal point of a stellar card on Sept. 12 that starts at 11:50 a.m. (EDT) and includes the $2.4 million New York Sire Stakes finals for 2- and 3-year-olds as well as a pair of $200,000 Invitationals – the Bob Miecuna Trot and Aria Pace.  MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday through Friday racing schedule with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

Please go to https://www.soaofny.com/yonkers-race-program to pick up yours!

Once again, we’d like to extend a big thanks to Kristin Riise Odegard for providing us with this wonderful video of Hohneck (who will be representing France, and starts from Post 10 in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Yonkers International Trot), along with his caretaker for the last 4 years, Remy Menoret. Learn a bit more about the 8 year old stallion who has earned over $3M during his career, and watch him trot around the Hilltop Oval!

Yonkers, NY – On Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 9) at Zero Otto Nove restaurant in Tuckahoe, N.Y., post positions were drawn for Saturday’s $1 million Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot, the $200,000 Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace and the $200,000 Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot. All three events will take place Saturday (Sept. 13) at MGM Yonkers Raceway and will be raced over the distance of a mile and a quarter. Post time for the 10-race program is 12:20 p.m. (EDT). Coming off a Canadian-record 1:49.1 win in the Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Aug. 30, Canadian representative Lexus Kody drew post one for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke. Behind him in a trailing post nine is Maple Leaf Trot runner-up and last year’s MGM Yonkers International Trot second-place finisher Periculum, who is set to be driven by Scott Zeron for trainer Marcus Melander, while 2023 Elitlopp champion Hohneck will be next to Periculum in the second tier in post 10 for driver Gabriele Gelormini and trainer Philippe Allaire. Periculum is one of two horses representing the United States in the event, while Hohneck heads a French trio. Here is the full field with the country they’re representing, the listed driver and trainer: $1 million Grade 1 MGM Yonkers International Trot – Race 6 PP-Horse-Country-Driver-Trainer 1-Lexus Kody-Canada-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke 2-Gamin Jaba-France-Daniel Reden drives/trains 3-Gio Cash-Germany-Daniel Wajersten drives/trains 4-Powwow-Norway-Bjorn Goop-Jan Waaler 5-Aetos Kronos S-Sweden-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander 6-Double Deceiver-United States-Orjan Kihlstrom-Daniel Reden 7-Ideal Ligneries-France-Jean-Philippe Monclin drives/trains 8-Diva EK-Italy-Alessandro Gocciadoro drives/trains 9-Periculum-United States-Scott Zeron-Marcus Melander 10-Hohneck-France-Gabriele Gelormini-Philippe Allaire Both of last year’s champions in the Aria Invitational Pace and Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot, Desperate Man and Ari Ferrari J, are back to defend their titles. Desperate Man will depart from a trailing post 10 in the Aria and will face the likes of 2025 MGM Borgata Pacing Series winner Mossdale Ben N, 2024 Aria runner-up Coaches Corner and two-time Dan Patch Award winner Captain Albano. Ari Ferrari J will also be in the second tier from post nine and will meet 2024 MGM Yonkers Trot champion Sir Pinocchio, 2023 MGM Yonkers Trot and 2025 Spirit of Massachusetts winner Up Your Deo and this year’s John Brennan Memorial Series victor Antognoni S. The full draws for the Aria and Miecuna are as follows with listed driver and trainer: $200,000 Grade 2 Aria Invitational Pace – Race 5 PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer 1-Mossdale Ben N-Jordan Stratton-Peter Tritton 2-Racing Rebel-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke 3-Coaches Corner-Jason Bartlett-Per Engblom 4-Dunkin’-George Brennan-Scott DiDomenico 5-Chase H Hanover-Jordan Stratton-Cory Stratton 6-Captain Albano-Todd McCarthy-Noel Daley 7-Soho Firestone A-Dexter Dunn-Doug Dilloian Jr. 8-Jamaican Rock A-Scott Zeron-Scott Blackler 9-Verdun-Pat Lachance drives/trains 10-Desperate Man-Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander $200,000 Grade 2 Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot – Race 7 PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer 1-Sir Pinocchio-Jason Bartlett-Ed Hart 2-Security Protected-Andy McCarthy-Marcus Melander 3-Up Your Deo-Ake Svanstedt drives/trains 4-Queen Of All-Austin Siegelman-Lance Hudson 5-Little Expensive-Tyler Miller-Julie Miller 6-Ferretti-Matt Kakaley-Travis Alexander 7-Resolve To Win-Tim Tetrick-Jeff Cullipher 8-Antognoni S-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke 9-Ari Ferrari J-Jason Bartlett-Tony Alagna 10-Ghostly Casper-Jordan Stratton-Jared Bako The MGM Yonkers International Trot, which has an estimated post time of 3 p.m. (EDT), will be shown on FOX Sports 2 as part of America’s Day at the Races. On The wagering front, the MGM Yonkers International Trot will also be part of a Cross Country Pick 5 with races from Aqueduct and Los Alamitos, and there will be a $20,000 guaranteed Pick 5 pool beginning in Race 5 and a $10,000 guaranteed Pick 4 pool starting in Race 7 done in partnership with the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program. In addition, a lunch buffet will be open to the public in the Empire Terrace dining room. The cost is $80 per person plus tax and gratuity. MGM Yonkers Raceway’s normal Monday/Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday live racing schedule will have some deviations over the new two weeks. This week, Yonkers will have a program on Wednesday (Sept. 10) and will be dark Friday (Sept. 12) in preparation for the MGM Yonkers International Trot program on Saturday the 13th. Wednesday racing will also take place on Sept. 17 as part of a Monday-Saturday six-day slate next week. 

Special thanks to Kristin Riise Odegard for sharing with us this beautiful video with Ragnhild Diesen, caretaker for Powwow (who drew Post 4 in Saturday’s Yonkers International Trot, representing Norway). Ragnhild is no stranger to Yonkers or this race, as she was here 10 years ago with Norway’s Papagayo E....who was the 2015 International Trot winner (and also the SIRE of Powwow)!

Zero Otto Nove to host draw for 2025 International Trot and invitationals on Tuesday