Millionaire If I Can Dream draws post

YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) If I Can Dream drew post position No. 3 for Saturday night's $542,060 Messenger Stakes, the third jewel of the pacing Triple Crown.

If I Can Dream returns to the races for the first time since winning last month's $600,000 Breeders Crown at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack. He won the $421,850 Art Rooney Pace at Yonkers earlier this season, and has 10 wins in 19 career starts.

His earnings of $1,360,099 rank second among pacers this year.

The 54th edition of the Messenger is comprised of seven 3-year-olds, four colts and three geldings. If I Can Dream is the 3-5 morning-line favorite, coupled with Straight Shooting. Other favorites include Hypnotic Blue Chip and Clear Vision.

Yellow Diamond, sharing the same owner and trainer as If I Can Dream, is the early favorite for Saturday night's $364,430 final of the Lady Maud Pace for 3-year-old fillies. Like her stablemate, Yellow Diamond has earned more than $1 million this season.

Updated November 4, 2009