Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — So far, Keep It Real has been able to keep it perfect.

The 3-year-old pacer heads into Saturday’s elimination races for the C$1.5 million North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack with a 6-for-6 slate after winning the fastest of four Burlington Stakes divisions last weekend, edging Lisagain by a quarter-length in 1:50.2. Only three Burlington races have ever been won with faster times.

Keep It Real, who was unraced as a 2-year-old because of a foot injury, is owned by Nova Scotia’s Wayne Whebby and trained by Joey Shea. After winning twice at Truro, the colt headed to Mohawk, where he has picked up four victories with Stephen Condren in the sulky. His Burlington start was his first against stakes company.

The North America Cup final is June 27 at Mohawk.

“It was pretty rugged going,” Whebby said with a laugh of Keep It Real’s effort in the Burlington, where the colt raced from the top spot on the outside over the final half-mile. “There were a lot of nice horses there. You can’t get away from that. He was roughed up pretty good the last half (mile).”

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Keep It Real lowered his mark to 1:50.2 with a victory in his Burlington Stakes division.

Keep It Real’s Burlington division included Well Said, who was the favorite and finished fourth, in addition to Lisagain, Schoolkids, Arctic Warrior, Stinger Blue Chip, Stonebridge Terror, Mr Wiggles, Vertigo Hanover, and Drop Red. The top six were separated by three lengths and all were clocked in 1:51 or less. None of the three other Burlington splits was faster than 1:51.1.

Whebby is no stranger to the North America Cup stage. In 2006, his colt Feelin Friskie was the favorite and finished second to Total Truth. A year later, his Watta Hotshot went off at 31-1 and was third behind Tell All and Sutter Hanover.

“With Watta Hotshot, it was almost like winning the race; (third place) is big when you don’t expect it,” Whebby said. “That’s just as exciting to me. I was so happy. I think I was yelling louder there than I was for (Feelin Friskie).

“Feelin Friskie just wasn’t as sharp as he could’ve been that night. Those things happen. You’ve got to live with it.”

Keep It Real is a son of Real Artist. His mother, Magical Leah, was the 2002 New York Sire Stakes champion for 3-year-old filly pacers. His great-grandmother, Goddess Supreme, was the mother of Dignatarian, who won the 1984 Champlain Stakes and earned just shy of $1 million in his career.

Whebby purchased Keep It Real for $45,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale.

“That’s big for me; I usually spend $15,000 to $20,000,” Whebby said. “I liked his personality. He was a nice colt, there’s no two ways about it. The mother made $300,000 and I hadn’t had a horse out of a mother that was a good racehorse. This was her first foal and I thought I would like to take a chance on it.

“He was a good-sized yearling, but I don’t think he’s grown a whole lot since. He’s only about 15.2 or 15.3 (hands). That’s fine because these days a lot of the horses in stakes races seem to be more athletic and quick rather than big.”

Keep It Real is not eligible to the $1 million Meadowlands Pace, but has the Little Brown Jug, Cane Pace, Messenger Stakes, Adios, Matron, Progress Pace and Breeders Crown on his schedule.

“You keep your fingers crossed,” Whebby said. “That’s all you can do.”