Coaches Corner was back in a big way Monday, April 13 at Yonkers Raceway. The Indiana standout pacer and defending champion of the MGM Borgata placed himself in the win column following a near gate to wire win in the third round of this year’s Borgata Series.
Starting from post two, Coaches Corner left the gate for Jason Bartlett, but so did Soho Firestone A and Yannick Gingras. Bartlett had to urge Coaches Corner on heading into the first turn to keep close to the lead. Midway through the turn, Soho Firestone A was able to take over but not for long. As soon as he crossed over, Coaches Corner was out and rolling to the lead to get settled in before the quarter in :27.4. From there, Coaches Corner was calling all the shots through the half in :56.2 and even to the three-quarters in 1:23.4 before Howlenthehills and Matt Kakaley were advancing toward them on the outside.
Midway through the final turn, Coaches Corner was still in full control of the race and as they turned for home, he continued to dominate, pacing home in :27.1 for the win by one and one-quarter lengths in 1:51.0. Soho Firestone A maintained ground for second inside with Howlenthehills finishing third.
Coaches Corner paid $2.66 as the favorite of the field. It was the first win of the season for the six-year-old son of Always a Virgin, who is owned by Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey. Per Engblom trains for Fought and Carsey with Coaches Corner bred and raised by Black Creek Farm and Hickory Hollow Stables. He now has 36 wins in 94 career starts with more than $1.5 million on his card. He took his career best time of 1:49.3 as a four-year-old at Saratoga Harness.
Coaches Corner began his career under the direction of Byron Hooley at Harrah’s Hoosier Park and didn’t win his first race until September of his two-year-old season. He competed in several stakes races in the Midwest, including the Hoosier Cup at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the Two-Year-Old Standardbred at Delaware during Little Brown Jug week, finishing third. He began his three-year-old season on the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit, winning the Governor’s Cup Championship and Elite Series before being purchased and moving to the Engblom barn for his new connections through the Blooded Horse Summer Sale for $65,000.
Coaches Corner was the seventh horse to sell in the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale and brought $13,000 through the ring under the name Hot Lava. After acquired by Hooley, he was renamed for a restaurant that is popular in northern Indiana. He is the first foal of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Carobbean Pacetry, who took a mark of 1:51.1 before becoming a brood mare. The maternal family has some depth with several sub 1:50 performers and several $100,000 plus earners.
The MGM Borgata Pacing Series has two more preliminary legs with the final set for Friday, May 8.
