MGM Borgata 5/9/25

Kevin Plowcha offers his thoughts prior to the draw:

Binge On Yankee
Many weren’t sure what to do with this guy after his massive leg one upset at 20-1 from post seven, especially because they were racing in a torrential downpour at that point in the night, but he continued to show that he belonged in the series, even if he may end up as a fringe player in the final. His effort in leg four was huge, and a good draw could see him follow some live ones and hit the ticket.

Chase H Hanover
The break he took during leg three appeared to work its magic, as he came back strong with wins in legs four and five. I still have questions, though. He got a perfect setup in leg four and it took him all of the stretch to get by the aforementioned Binge On Yankee. He wired them in leg five, but they got to the half in :56, and there’s no way Mossdale Ben N was fully cranked. I think he needs a little bit more.

Coaches Corner

This horse absolutely loves the Yonkers oval. He’s been a staple in the Borgata for years now, and it didn’t change in 2025. He competed in all five legs and earned three wins, finishing no worse than second throughout the entire series. He’s a major contender, although he’ll probably draw in the parking lot given his history of draw luck at Yonkers.

Desperate Man
He is perhaps the most polarizing horse in this final. He came up short as the heavy favorite in each of the first three legs, and it felt right to question his staying power in this series. He finally got the job done in leg four, but needed to prove it wasn’t a fluke. A wrapped up 1:51.1 win in leg five after being pressured to the quarter showed that he could be back.

For Once Inmy Life
On the other end, we have For Once InMy Life, who was 3-for-3 heading into leg five, including getting the best of Coaches Corner twice. But… he was offstride going to the gate, ended up breaking again and getting pulled up. We know that he qualified on Wednesday at Pocono, and was a winner in 1:53.0 according to Cory Stratton. This puts a major question mark over the head of a horse that looked like a major win threat.

Huntinthelastdolar
He’s given a strong, solid effort every time he steps out on the Yonkers oval. He faced weaker fields in legs two and three, but to his credit he took care of business. I personally think he needs a lot to go his way to get him a win, but if he runs his race again, I can see him getting a piece.

Mossdale Ben N
Here’s your final favorite. This New Zealand invader is 7-for-9 since his North America debut on February 17th. He regularly came from the clouds and would turn impossible trips for regular horses into winning trips for him. His two losses might be his most impressive efforts. Kicking :26.4 in leg three to only miss by half a length to Coaches Corner is insane, and even with the excuse of it being a “prep” mile, the back half was paced in :54.4, and he made up ground on Chase H Hanover with Stratton motionless in the final eighth. He’s the one to beat.

Verdun
I would say this has been a resurgence for Verdun – Actually, I still will, because he’s stringing strong efforts together against the best open pacer company, but I wasn’t familiar with just how much he liked this racetrack. This is where he shines, and we’ve seen it week in and week out. He’s surprised me with his versatility in this series, and I think he provides a sneaky upset chance, especially if you think the race falls apart after hot fractions. We’ve seen it before.

That’s your field for the 2025 MGM Borgata Pacing Series final. Also on that card will be the Blue Chip Matchmaker final, and the consolations for both. It’s setting up to be a fantastic night of racing at Yonkers on May 9th.