Trainer Ron Burke and driver Matt Kakaley, who had a terrific Breeders Crown Championship night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday, were right back at the mountain oval on Sunday, Oct. 28 and teamed for three winners including the Cantab Hall gelding Elysium Lindy, who took the $21,500 trotting feature in 1:54.
Kakaley hustled the winner of $289,035 to the lead past a :27.2 opener, rated to the half in :56.4 and sped things up to still lead at the penultimate pole in 1:24.4. Race-favourite Charmed Life, who had had no luck trying to come from behind against an anti-closer bias in her Breeders Crown elim last week, closed ton in the stretch but wound up a nose behind the winner, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Joseph Di Scala Jr.
Another pairing who had a great Breeders Crown night – driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes—won the following contest after the featured trot.
The $16,000 featured pace on the card, which was taken by another member of Team Oakes – 20-year-old Hunter Oakes. He scored his first driving victory in only his second start when he won behind the $715,307 winner Polak A in 1:51.1. Both father Chris and son Hunter rank among the top five trainers at The Downs.
And we apologize in advance to our Down Under friends, but it is a news story of sorts that Lazurus won at Pocono on Sunday in 1:55.4. That would be the trotter Lazurus – not the Australasian star pacer Lazarus N, who had no luck in the Breeders Crown Open Pace the night before. Matt Kakaley also drove Lazurus and wound up the night with five victories.
(With files from PHHA)