When Windsong Leo and Southwind Amazon lined up for Friday’s (Dec. 27) $18,000 Open Handicap Pace at The Meadows, they brought gaudy statistics to the fray—32 combined wins this year and more than $403,000 in combined seasonal earnings. Something had to give... and it wasn’t Windsong Leo.
The 1-2 favourite pulled the pocket for Dave Palone into the final turn, blew by Southwind Amazon and scored in 1:50.4. The seven-year-old Jeremes Jet-Windsong Goldie gelding downed the rallying K Ryan Bluechip by one-and-three-quarter lengths. Bettor Than Spring finished third while Southwind Amazon, tiring on the sloppy surface, faded to fourth.
Windsong Leo collected his 15th victory this year for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Phillip Collura and extended his career bankroll to $586,460.
In Friday’s companion feature, the $20,000 Open Handicap Trot, Perlucky made it four straight wins, moving three wide past the half to edge the front-ending Icanflylakeanangel by a neck in 1:54.4. The four-year-old Lucky Chucky-Paper Girl gelding lifted his lifetime earnings to $350,909 and provided a sweep of the day’s features for Palone, Burke and the Burke Racing-Weaver Bruscemi-Collura ownership team.
Mike Wilder piloted four winners on the 13-race card, including a pair for trainer Jason Robinson, while Palone enjoyed a triple.
Live racing at The Meadows continues Saturday (Dec. 28), the 2019 “Day of Champions”, when the track and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association (MSOA) reveal and crown their Pacer of the Year, Trotter of the Year and Horse of the Year. As part of the festivities, the MSOA will give away hats commemorating Palone’s 19,000th victory; the first 100 patrons are eligible. First post is 1:05 p.m.
(The Meadows)