by Keith Gisser, director of publicity, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — Western Graduate ($6.00) won the $128,000 Courageous Lady Pace at Northfield Park on Saturday night, October 13, defeating Michelle’s Power in the tightest finish in stakes history. Only a nose separated the pair in the 1:53 mile. Go On BB was third.

Yannick Gingras drove Western Graduate for trainer Mickey Burke and owners Sylvia Burke, Tom Cherichello, George Leon and Lawrence Karr. The win, her eighth in 18 seasonal starts, pushed her career earnings to $582,322.

Go On BB led at the :26.3 quarter, and Michelle’s Power rocketed to the front before the half-mile, which was reached in :55.1. She continued to lead at the 1:22.3 three-quarter call, but was unable to hold on at the wire.

With the win, Western Graduate became the first Jugette champ to capture the Courageous Lady since Towner’s Image turned the trick in 1993. The win gave trainer Mickey Burke a sweep of Northfield’s three major races, as he also conditioned Battle of Lake Erie winner Maltese Artist and Won The West, who took a split of the Heineken Premium Light Cleveland Classic earlier this year.