De Los Cielos Deo completes sweep of PASS prelims
August 14, 2018,by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows
Washington, PA — While horses usually don’t bet, in Tuesday’s (Aug. 14) $188,111 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows, De Los Cielos Deo hit a rare trifecta: he extended his career unbeaten streak to five, he completed a sweep of the four PASS preliminary legs, and he vaulted over $100,000 in earnings.
Chris Gooden photo
De Los Cielos Deo remained unbeaten with his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victory on Tuesday at The Meadows.
The event for freshman pacing colts and geldings, known as the Tyler B, was contested over three divisions, with Crimson And Chrome and Captain Victorious taking the other splits.
De Los Cielos Deo quarter-moved to the front for Yannick Gingras and cruised home in 1:52, 1-1/2 lengths better than the first-over Proof. Ehrmantraut earned show. The victory continued the PASS domination of De Los Cielos Deo, who captured his four wins by a combined 9 lengths.
Ron Burke, who trains the son of Captaintreacherous and Lisjune — a $140,000 yearling purchase for Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi LLC‚ said he would train the colt up to the $252,000 PASS championship (Sept. 1 at The Meadows) rather than seek a prep race.
“I don’t worry about getting starts for these kinds of colts,” Burke said. “I’d rather save starts than get starts. Bad horses need races. Good horses will train themselves up. It took me forever to learn that.
“He has top-range potential. For as long as we’ve been training him down, I’ve said this is easily the best colt we’ve had since Sweet Lou. Before the year’s over, I think he’ll do something special.”
Victorious in his only previous PASS start, Crimson And Chrome made it two straight by erasing a three-length deficit in the lane for Tim Tetrick and downing Semi Tough by half a length in 1:51.3. Air Force Hanover completed the ticket.
“He kind of struggled early,” said winning trainer Jim King Jr. “He had lots of determination, lots of good things to like about him, but it didn’t come that easy to him. So we just took our time with him. We were mostly concerned with making him a good 3-year-old. We’re underway for that; it’s a good start.”
Tim Tetrick LLC owns the Sweet Lou-McSauna gelding, who is eligible for the Liberty Bell, the Simpson and the Keystone Classic at The Meadows.
Captain Victorious found himself in an unfamiliar first-over chase but made the most of it for David Miller, holding off Sugar Factory by a neck in a stakes-fastest 1:51.2. Cruise Captain was third.
“It wasn’t the trip I wanted to give him,” Miller said. “He got a little rough when the gate folded, and that cost him getting away. He went a big trip first over. He was pretty game.”
Julie Miller conditions the son of Captaintreacherous and Belclare for Andy Miller Stable, Jean Goehlen and Caroll Huffman.
In the $20,000 Preferred Handicap Trot, Call For Justice shot the Lightning Lane and made it two straight with a 1:53.4 score for Dave Palone, Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. The 6-year-old son of Justice Hall and Mika’s Mazurka now boasts $526,067 in career earnings.
Stake racing at The Meadows continues Wednesday (Aug. 15), when the card features an $80,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series event for 2-year-old pacing fillies. First post is 1:05 p.m.