Driver Dexter Dunn worked out a pocket ride with the Ron Burke-trained My Girl EJ behind undefeated Geocentric and roared from the pocket when straightening for home to cross the line a wrapped-up winner in a stakes and track record 1:49.2 mile in the $700,000 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace on Friday night (Oct. 27) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

My Girl EJ ripped out of post eight and crossed to the lead before a :27 first quarter with 6-1 stablemate Pass Line (Yannick Gingras) in the pocket. Geocentric (Tim Tetrick), the 2-5 favourite from the Brian Brown barn, raced third and soon swung off the pegs to brush toward the lead in a stiff second quarter. By the half in :54, Geocentric rolled through the final turn with My Girl EJ swelling and raring to kick off the helmet.

Dunn gave My Girl EJ her head by three-quarters in 1:22.2 and stormed clear into the lane as Geocentric tired through the field. Pass Line gave futile pursuit to her stablemate to secure second, beaten by three lengths, with 49-1 shot Camerican (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) slipping through off a pylon trip to complete a sweep of the top three spots for the Burke bridgade. Its A Love Thing (James MacDonald) was fourth.

“We had to use her from a wide draw, but she’s been in such great form and her elimination last week was super,” said Dunn, who won this event for the third time after winning back-to-back years in 2020 with Fire Start Hanover and in 2021 with Niki Hill.

“I thought in that race we wanted to be following Timmy [Tetrick with Geocentric], so that was my game plan and we got the job done. I didn’t know if I could beat her, because Geocentric has been so awesome this year, but I knew I had a chance the way [my filly] has been racing. That’s the way horse racing goes, you know? You get the right horse on the right night, and she turns up, and she certainly turned up tonight.”

The 1:49.2 mark from My Girl EJ lowered the stakes record for this division set nearly 10 years ago by JK Shesalady, who won the 2014 renewal at The Meadowlands in 1:50.2. It also knocked a full second off the divisional track record, set last month by Blue Pacific, who finished fifth in this race.

My Girl EJ gave trainer Ron Burke his third victory in the Two-Year-Old Filly Pace, which he won in 2017 with Youaremycandygirl and in 2018 with Warrawee Ubeaut.

Burke Racing Stable bred My Girl EJ with Weaver Bruscemi and Elizabeth Novak, all co-owners with Howard Taylor.

“They’re not only our mares, but the first two [finishers] were [by] our sires,” said Burke, who conditioned Breeders Crown winner Sweet Lou from 2011 to 2014 and double millionaire All Bets Off. “It’s been a great run with these guys. Geocentric is a great horse, I love her, but I’ve said all along I’d never trade my filly for anybody. She’s as good as anything. She’s going to be an even better filly when she gets onto smaller tracks next year. She’s a top, top horse.”

My Girl EJ is a daughter of Sweet Lou out of Lucys Pearl, making her a full sister to the Burke-trained millionaire Lous Pearlman, a contender in Saturday's Breeders Crown Open Pace.

My Girl EJ won her fourth race from 11 starts and has accrued more than $600,000 in earnings.

Sent off as the 7-2 second choice, she paid $9.40 to win. The Burke Trifecta returned $88.90.

My Girl EJ gave Dunn his seventh driving win on the card and back-to-back Breeders Crown victories as he swept the two-year-old pacing divisions, following up another track record score with the Chris Ryder-trained colt Gem Quality. 

A replay of this race can be viewed as part of the archived Friday card live stream, available here.

(With files from Breeders Crown)