by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications

Yonkers, NY — With a three-wide sweeping rush, All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) got to the finish line first by a slim margin in the $250,000 Dan Rooney Invitational Pace on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 14) at Yonkers Raceway in 1:51.4.

All Bets Off demonstrated his durability with a 1:51.4 victory in the Dan Rooney Invitational Pace at Yonkers Raceway.

All Bets Are Off is trained by Rob Burke for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Baldachino and Pan Hellenic Stables. It was his 27th career win and pushed his lifetime earnings to $2,834,832.

Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton) grabbed the lead at first call, getting to the quarter in :26.4, with race favorite Sintra trailing him. By the :55.3 half, Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton) still had the lead but was soon overtaken by Somewhere In L A (Jason Bartlett) who had the lead at the 1:23.1 three-quarters.

With a cavalry charge down the homestretch, Keystone Velocity (Daniel Dube) went three-wide to chase down the leaders and grab the lead at the head of the stretch. But All Bets Off was coming fastest of all and got up on the outside to just nip Keystone Velocity at the wire.

Wining driver Matt Kakaley said he had no fear of timing the wire just right.

“That was perfect, it worked out great,” he said. “I think he likes it that way (accelerating late in the race), it’s worked good the last two weeks and the trip just was perfect today. I was pretty confident (he would get to the wire in time) it was working out good for him.

Shannon Murphy, assistant trainer for the Burke Stable, was similarly confident.

“I thought he’d get there; he likes that. If I owned him maybe it would be tough on my heart. Breeders Crown is next for him.”