Marion Marauder Heads Yonkers Trot, Racing Hill Tops Messenger, Both Worth $500,000

Yonkers Raceway will present its two signature events for sophomore trotters and pacers, each worth a half million dollars, on Saturday night. Hambletonian champ Marion Marauder, the winner of last week's elimination heat, tops the field for the $500,000 Yonkers Trot, while Racing Hill headlines the $500,000 Messenger Stakes.
Marion Marauder, a son of Muscle Hill, drew post position 4 in 62nd edition of the Yonkers Trot, the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Regular pilot Scott Zeron drives for trainer Paula Wellwood. Racing Hill, a son of Roll with Joe, drew the three-hole in the 61st Messenger, and Brett Miller is in the sulky.
“Marion Marauder has just developed into the perfect horse to drive,” Zeron said. “I raced him from off the pace both times in the Hambletonian, but he had no problem leaving the gate last week. This is my first drive in this race, and I’d love to win it.”
Marion Marauder won the Yonkers Trot elimination last week by a length and a quarter over SmallTownThrowDown (Dan Daley), and stopped the clock in 1:56:2. The speedy sophomore won both his elimination heat and final of the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands on August 6.
The field for the Yonkers Trot listed in post-position order with drivers in parenthesis is as follows: 1. Iron Mine Bucky (George Dennis), 2. Celebrity Express (John Campbell), 3. Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley), 4. Marion Marauder (Scott Zeron), 5. Lagerfeld (Mark MacDonald), 6. Steed (Brian Sears), 7. Hititoutofthepark (Corey Callahan), and 8. Cufflink Hanover (Jason Bartlett).
Marion Marauder enters the Yonkers Trot with seven wins and a second in nine seasonal starts for a total bankroll of $874,905. He had won five consecutive starts before a runner up finish in the Colonial at Pocono. The three-year-old is owned by Marion Wellwood and Devin Keeling.
The Yonkers Trot winner also gets an automatic berth to the $1 million Yonkers International Trot slated for Saturday afternoon, October 15.
The draw for Messenger Stakes is as follows: 1. Stonebridge Beach (Pat Lachance), 2. Don’tcallmefrancis(Joe Bongiorno), 3. Racing Hill (Brett Miller), 4. Western Fame (MacDonald), 5. Fernando Hanover(George Brennan), 6. Another Daily Copy (Callahan), 7. Dr. J Hanover (Zeron), 8.Manny (Chris Lems).
In the Messenger, both the Tony Alagna-trained horses (Racing Hill and Dr. J. Hanover) and both Ron Burke trainees (Don’tcallmefrancis and Fernando Hanover) will race uncoupled, as per updated New York State Gaming Commission rules.
Racing Hill “trained great on the half at Gaitway, and couldn’t be coming into this race any better,” said Alagna. Owned and bred by Tom Hill, Racing Hill hasn’t missed the board in 10 starts this year with four wins, five seconds and a third for $961,702 in earnings.
The Trot goes as the eighth race on the Raceway’s 13-race card (approximate post time 9:35 PM), with the Messenger directly after (approx. post 9:55 PM). First post is at the customary 7:10 PM.