May 28, 2013 | Racing
May 25, 2013
After a long stretch at the Yonkers half-mile, Annieswesterncard took to the 5/8-mile oval at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs beautifully and scored a victory in Saturday night’s featured Preferred pace. The race carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
Annieswesterncard (Western Hanover-Annie You’re A Card), a 7-year-old gelding from the Ron Burke barn, had spent the past two months campaigning against the very best pacers on the grounds at Yonkers. His first start at the Pocono oval in 2013 came from the inside post in a field of six and he was made the 7-5 favorite. He sat third at the quarter as Mickey Hanover cut out the opening panel in 26 seconds even.
Driver Matt Kakaley sent Annieswesterncard to the front at the 3/8-mile marker with a front stretch brush, but he just as quickly ceded the lead to Bet On The Law, who came in on a 3-race winning streak and led at the half in 53:3 and at three-quarters in 1:21:1. Annieswesterncard waited until the stretch to uncork his second move, and, in a furious drive with several horses battling for the lead, rallied in time to beat Bet On The Law by a neck in a career-best 1:49. Pence Hanover finished third.
Annieswesterncard, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable, and Panhellenic Stable Corporation, won for the seventh time in 14 starts this season. His victory, the 29th of his career, pushed his lifetime earnings to $1,344,936.
May 14, 2013 | Racing
May 12, 2013
Camille outdueled Feeling You in a rematch of the rivalry they recently stoked at Yonkers, winning Sunday night’s featured Preferred pace for mares at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $25,000.
On April 27 at Yonkers, Feeling You rallied in the stretch to knock off pacesetting Camille in the $250,000 Blue Chip final at Yonkers. On Sunday night at Pocono, Camille benefitted from a #3 post position in a field of nine, while Feeling You started from the #7 hole. Camille was made the 4-5 betting favorite, and the 5-year-old mare from the Ron Burke barn took the lead around the first turn from early leader Warrawee Koine.
Driver Matt Kakaley was able to rate the speed well aboard Camille (Camluck-Art Of Design) with a 29-second second panel, and the mare would need every bit of that energy when Feeling You came at her first-over on the back stretch. The two dueled right to the line before Camille prevailed by a nose in 1:51:1. Warrawee Koine picked up the show and Economy Terror, a former Breeders Crown winner and two-time Pennsylvania State champ, was fourth in her first start of the season.
Camille, owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, M1 Stable, and Jack Piatt II, won for the fourth time in six tries this year in what was her first sojourn outside of New York in 2013. It was also her 24th career win and pushed her lifetime earnings to $849,309.
In other action at Pocono on Sunday night, Only In My Dreams (Credit Winner-Invincible Dream), trained by Gail Wrubel and driven by Mike Simons, won a $13,000 condition trot that was run in honor of Bobby Manning. Manning was a longtime Pocono horseman who died a few months ago at the age of 51. The Pocono horsemen gathered en masse in the winner’s circle following the race to honor Manning’s memory.
