Sitting second in the stretch and full of pace, American Mercury found a narrow opening inside to slip past the sport’s top-ranked sophomore pacer and heavily-favored Bettor’s Wish, who incidentally was bred, raised and sold as a yearling by Brittany Farms.

Sitting second in the stretch and full of pace, American Mercury found a narrow opening inside to slip past the sport’s top-ranked sophomore pacer and heavily-favored Bettor’s Wish, who incidentally was bred, raised and sold as a yearling by Brittany Farms. American Mercury p,2,1:52.4; 3,1:49.4, from the Somebeachsomewhere mare Tessa Hanover, has now earned more than a half-million dollars for his owners Crawford Farms Racing, Northfork Racing, Chuck Pompey and Scott Bice. He was bred by Steve & Cindy Stewart’s Hunterton Farm and partners Cotton and Julie Nash and sold as a $170,000 yearling at Lexington Selected.

American Mercury’s affinity for the Yonkers’ oval continues with the Messenger win, as earlier in the season he set a track record of 1:50.3 in a New York Sire Stakes held there. With $250k tacked on from the Messenger, American Ideal’s 2019 siring earnings continue to pile up. With $10.6-million earned by his progeny so far this year he is far and away the leading active money-winning pacing sire standing in the U.S., and ranks behind only Canada’s Bettor’s Delight and the late Somebeachsomewhere overall.