Freehold, NJ — The Ron Burke brigade invaded Freehold Raceway on opening day (Aug. 27) and came away with three winners.

Burke started the day with a win in race two, when the 2-year-old trotter Southwind Arturo broke his maiden by 3-1/2 lengths with Joe Bongiorno in the bike. A few races later, Burke and Bongiorno teamed up again, as odds-on choice Hot As Hill won the first division of the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Standardbred Development Fund for 3-year-old filly trotters. Sent off as the 1-20 favorite, she won by four lengths in 1:58.1 for her third win of the year from 12 starts.

One race later, Burke sent out favored Feelin Red Hot, with George Brennan in tow, in the Fillies and Mares Preferred Handicap. She delivered as the favorite, pacing the mile in 1:54 for her fifth win of the season.

Burke had a chance at four winners with Avenir in the eighth race, the second division of the NJSS-SDF, but she broke early on and ended up fourth. The race went to Pub Crawl, who trotted in 1:58 for trainer Julie Miller and driver Andy Miller.

Live racing continues at Freehold on Saturday (Aug. 28) starting at about 12:30 p.m.