Champion Resolve Favored in Yonkers International Trot

Defending champion Resolve of the United States drew post position six and was tabbed as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the $1 million Yonkers International Trot set for this Saturday afternoon, October 14, at Empire City Casino’s historic Yonkers Raceway. Trainer Ake Svanstedt will drive the American flag-carrier for owner Hans Enggren. The post position draw was conducted at the ’21’ Club in midtown Manhattan this afternoon.

An earner of more than $2.6 million in purses lifetime on the strength of 18 wins in 39 starts, Resolve is a six-year-old son of Muscle Hill, and set a world record of 2:23:4 for the mile and a quarter distance in last year’s edition.

Nine elite trotters representing seven countries – United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy and Sweden –will try to dethrone Resolve.

The Italian standout Twister Bi, trained by the American expatriate Jerry Riordan, will start from post position four as the 4-1 second choice with Christoffer Ericsson driving. The five-year-old has 20 wins in 49 career starts, and has earned $708,328 lifetime.

Another Italian trotter, Oasis Bi, is the co-third choice at 5-1 on the morning line from post position two and will be driven by Stefan Pettersson. It will be the nine-year-old’s third appearance in the Yonkers International, finishing second to Resolve last year. Oasis Bi has earned more than $2 million lifetime with 18 wins in 80 career starts.

Last year’s trotting Triple Crown champion Marion Marauder of Canada is also listed at 5-1 from the advantageous post position one with Scott Zeron driving. The husband-wife tandem of Michael Keeling and Paula Wellwood are the trainers. The owners are Devin Keeling and his grandmother Jean Wellwood. The four-year-old has $2.2 million in lifetime earnings with 14 victories in 35 starts.

Dreammoko of France, post three, 6-1, Gabriele Gelmormini; In Secret of the U.S.A., post eight, 6-1, George Brennan; On Track Piraten of Sweden, post 10, 8-1, Johnny Takter; Midnight Hour of Finland, post seven, 10-1, Ilkka Normanen; Shadow Woodland of Finland, post five, 12-1, Tim Tetrick; and Tripolini VP of Denmark, post nine, 15-1, Jeppe Juel, complete the field.