Wilkes-Barre, PA — Elysium Lindy took control from the pole early for driver Matt Kakaley, rated the half, then sprinted home to keep pocket-sitting favorite Gruden at bay while winning the $30,000 Open Trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Sunday (Nov. 11).

Elysium Lindy was a 1:54.3 winner in the Open Trot. Curtis Salonick photo.

Kakaley discouraged any outside attempts to fire away hard, going at a :27.1 clip to the quarter, then rated the second quarter to hit the half in :57.1. From that point, nobody had enough speed to overhaul Elysium Lindy on a 32-degree night, with Gruden giving valiant chase up the Pocono Pike from the two-hole but coming up three-quarters of a length shy in a mile timed in 1:54.3.

Elysium Lindy, an altered son of Cantab Hall, raised his earnings to $152,240 for the year and $318,835 lifetime for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership team of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Joseph DiScala Jr.

After the race, driver Matt Kakaley did something that would normally be unusual — he took his helmet off. He gave it to the caretaker of Elysium Lindy, who wore it taking the victorious trotter back to the paddock, and Matt stayed in the winner’s circle, being joined by important Burke Brigade owner Phil Collura, to accept the honor of 2018 Pocono Pacer of the Year for the sophomore millionaire Dorsoduro Hanover.

The Somebeachsomewhere gelding has posted a 19-10-5-1 scorecard so far in 2018 and has bankrolled $1,229,112, with his tally at Pocono alone reading 7-6-0-0 ($469,120). Locally, Dorsoduro Hanover won a Pennsylvania All-Stars race, a leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and his divisional championship, a Hempt elimination, and his Breeders Crown elimination and final, in the latter of which he took his lifetime mark of 1:49.4. His only Pocono setback was a very honorable one, as he put up fractions of :26, :53, and 1:20.3, and then missed only a length in the Hempt final.

Kakaley was his regular driver for his trainer Burke and his owners, Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Silva, Purnel & Libby; and the Wingfield Five.