Lebanon, OH — If there’s a hotter horse than Windsong Leo in North America thus far this season he would be hard to find. He captured his sixth Open Handicap Pace victory of 2020 on Saturday night (March 7) at Miami Valley Raceway, all from assigned outside post positions. His latest coup undoubtedly will move him up from his eighth place slot among the sport’s richest horses in the current year.

Windsong Leo sped to a 1:50 score, his sixth of the season, in Miami Valley’s Open Handicap Pace on Saturday. Conrad photo.

In his latest score, driver Chris Page urged Windsong Leo right past an open two-hole while parked out all the way around the first turn. Once the tandem reached the first quarter beam in :27, they kept rolling through middle fractions of :55.3 and 1:22.3 before sealing the deal in 1:50. General Dolan (Brett Miller), who owns the quickest mile of the season—a 1:49.3 tally in last week’s Open, shadowed the winner throughout and made it interesting in the stretch before settling for second. Ultra-consistent My Hero Ron (Tyler Smith) rallied to secure the show spot. Ana Afreet N (Trace Tetrick) and Lifewithjohn (Ricky Macomber Jr.) earned the final two checks in the $24,000 affair.

Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura own Windsong Leo, whose lifetime earnings now stand at $663,505 with 56 wins in 122 trips to post.

A trio of final preliminary legs in the George Williams Memorial Series were also contested. Winners of the final $15,000 tune ups were E Mode’s Desire (Mike Peterson, 1:51.3, $18.00), Gold Digger King (Miller, 1:53.3, $3.00) and Loutenant (Shawn Barker II, 1:53, $23.40).

E Mode’s Desire, benefitting from an extremely quick :25.3 opening split, rallied from near the back of the pack to catch Gunrneedabgrboat A (Macomber Jr.) and Colition (John DeLong) in the closing strides. Gold Digger King just nipped Diesel Accelerator (Kyle Ater) with Motor City Man (Page) a close up third. Loutenant upset Peter Dalt (Macomber Jr.) and heavily favored Dashing To Da Wire (Miller) in the final division.

Championship finalists in all nine of the “Lebanon Legends” late closers during the annual Miami Valley meet are determined by series earnings. Those who will vie for the championship in the $27,500 final, in order of earnings, are Gold Digger King, Diesel Accelerator, Loutenant, Dashing To Da Wire, E Mode’s Desire, Gunrneedabgrboat A, Peter Dalt, A Stud Named Sue and Unlikeanyother. Friday Night Blues would get into the final if any of the top nine earners fail to declare.