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

Kakaley discouraged any outside attempts to fire away hard when 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 with Gruden giving chase up the open stretch from the two-hole but coming up three-quarter lengths shy.

Elysium Lindy, a gelded 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 LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Joseph DiScalia.

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 Somebeachsomehwere 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 of course his Breeders Crown elimination and final, in the latter of which he took his lifetime mark of 1:49.4.

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

(PHHA)