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With two horses already guaranteed spots in the final of the MGM Borgata Series for older male pacers, trainer Ron Burke will look to add a third on Monday (April 12), when Yonkers Raceway hosts the last preliminary round of the six-week event.
Based on points accumulated in the series, the Burke Brigade’s Rockapelo and This Is The Plan are among five horses to have already secured places in the eight-horse final on April 19. The others are Western Joe, Hesa Kingslayer N and Leonidas A.
Burke’s Backstreet Shadow is in the best position to join that group, pending the outcomes in Monday’s last preliminary divisions of the series. Backstreet Shadow, sixth in points, is the 8-5 morning-line favourite in the first of the last three Borgata splits, starting from post one.
Ronnie Wrenn Jr. had to use Lunar twice, but he was up to the challenge as he stretched his career unbeaten streak to four in Friday’s (April 9) Tom Kirwan Memorial Pace at The Meadows. Manholmes took the other $12,500 second-leg division in the event for three-year-old colts and geldings.
Lunar got away fourth from post seven but didn’t sit there long, moving first over after the leader, Louie. The Sweet Lou-Crescent City gelding wore down the well-meant Louie and defeated him by 1-1/2 lengths in a career-fastest 1:52.1. Twin B Edge finished third. Ron Burke trains Lunar for Burke Racing Stable, Phillip Collura, Knox Services and J&TSilva-Purnel&Libby.
Developing younger horses were featured on Wednesday afternoon (April 7) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with an $11,200 event for both pacing and trotting males.
Hall of Fame driver David Miller took the shortest way home to win in both features, coming up the inside after front-end battles. On the pace, the Well Said gelding Step On The Gas had the inside seas part for him after favourites Jollity and Miki U So Fine dueled. The clear sailing for Miller gave the gelding a straight path to a mark of 1:52.4. The winner is now 2-for-3 since entering the Ron Burke stable for owner Shannon Murphy.
Filly Speaks was all out to do it, but she captured her second-consecutive series win and fourth overall in the Ruby Cook Memorial Pace on Wednesday (April 7) at The Meadows. Peep N Weep took a similar narrow victory in the other $12,500 second-leg division of the event for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Filly Speaks quarter-poled to the front for Tony Hall and opened a two-length lead past the three-quarters before Oceans Apart began to gain ground. Filly Speaks held off that rival by a nose to score in 1:53.3, matching her career best. Defy The Odds finished third.
Scott Betts trains the daughter of Artspeak-Fillys Victory for Tim Betts, Nick Catalano and Keith Pippi.