Racing Roundup: Burke sets Meadows mark for training wins
December 17, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Thursday’s (Dec. 17) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Dover Downs and Cal-Expo.
Burke sets Meadows mark for training wins in a season
Washington, PA — Ron Burke established a record for training wins in a single season at The Meadows when Bandolero gave him his 352nd victory of 2009 in Thursday’s third race.
Burke, who is approaching $15 million in purses this year and leads all trainers in that category, brushed past The Meadows mark of 351 wins that he set with his father Mickey last year.
— Evan Pattak
Artciano wins Ed Long Memorial at Dover
Dover, DE — Artciano pulled out of second on the final turn on the way to a 1:53.2 victory in the Ed Long Memorial at Dover Downs on Thursday, Dec. 17.
Bret Brittingham stalked race favorite Sharky Osborne (Eric Goodell) from the start before taking on the leader as the field turned for home. In the stretch Artciano had the most pace to score his 10th win of the year for owner Larry Hughes. The Artiscape-Armbro Awesome gelding has now won $95,049 this season. Charger (Mike Cole) closed well to beat Sharky Osborne for second money.
The race honored the late horseman Ed Long, a longtime Delaware Standardbred Owners Association (DSOA) member who served in his later years on the DSOA board.
— Marv Bachrad
Stanza is gigantic at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Conditioned/claiming pacers, racing for a $4,800 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night in which there was absolutely no doubt that Stanza was the best.
Starting from post 11 in the second tier and coming away in seventh position when the field reached the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.4, driver Tim Maier had a good plan in mind for Stanza while there was a lot of action up front.
“I was trying to put Red Star Engineer (James Kennedy), who was on the outside of me, in front of me to the three-eighths,” stated Maier. “As I did, my horse kind of got a little strong in the face and I ended up having to move him to the outside of Red Star Engineer — which had me three-deep. The idea, however, wasn’t to be three-deep, it was to put Red Star Engineer in front of me on the inside, but James (Kennedy) decided to follow the horse in front of him that was two-wide.”
Racing three-wide at the 7-16ths pole and committing to that position by brushing into fourth to the half-mile marker, timed in :58, Maier didn’t know what to soon expect.
“I was wondering what we were going to do when we hit the final turn when I stepped on the gas pedal because I had been advised to watch him in the turn.”
Quickly moving up and putting a neck in front while still three-wide to the five-eighths station, the 3-year-old made a break.
“I probably pushed him too much,” noted Maier.
Losing 2-1/2 lengths on the break, then back on stride and now four-wide to the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27.3, Maier still had good reason to be upbeat.
“Once he lit back he still felt strong. And since I didn’t feel anybody else coming I thought my chances were as good as any.”
With the field now in the lane and Stanza fighting for the lead with Television Star (Luke Plano) to the seven-eighths marker, that dispute ended quickly when Stanza put that foe away and took over the lead to mid-stretch, but soon had to deal with a late flying Lymmer (Steve Wiseman).
“He still felt moderately strong and even though Lymmer was coming late the wire was in sight and I knew we were getting there.”
Owned and bred by Desomer Stables, and trained by Vickie Desomer, the gelding held safe to win ($26.40) by three-quarters of a length in 1:57. Lymmer, who put in some odd steps at the wire, finished in second, and Television Star finished two lengths farther back in third.
“He obviously has a good turn of speed and a big set of lungs, and although he’s unsure of himself that horse can go. It was a monster effort on his part,” finished Maier.
— Scott Ehrlich