Double millionaire Sweet Lou made a successful local debut Saturday night in his season finale, winning Yonkers Raceway's $37,000 Open Handicap Pace with George Brennan in the sulky.
Ordered outside his seven rivals (though inside one notch after a defection), 3-5 choice 'Lou' worked around Sapphire City (Eric Carlson), making the before a quick :26.3 opening quarter. It was a rated 30-second quarter (:56.3) with Ardyne Ace (Larry Stalbaum) moving from fifth.
That one offered minimal grief in and out of a 1:24.3 three-quarters, with Sweet Lou taking a couple of lengths into the lane. The people's preference then held the gang at bay, whipping Sapphire City by a length in 1:52 with a snappy :27.2 final quarter.
Third went to a three-hole Lumberjack Willie (catch-driver Jordan Stratton), while Pan From Nantucket (Eric Goodell) and Ardyne Ace rounded out the payees.
Sweet Lou, a four-year-old son of Yankee Cruiser co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Weaver Bruscemi, Lawrence Karr and Philip Collura, returned $3.30 for his fourth win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta (two wagering favourites) paid $10.60, with the triple returning $49.
Sweet Lou's only half-mile experience prior to Saturday was the 2012 Little Brown Jug, when he won his heat before finishing second in the final. It is surmised he's going to join the Burke contingent in next season's George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series.
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)