Whiskey Blu easily captured the $19,750 championship of the Dale McConnell Memorial Trot Thursday at The Meadows to stretch his career unbeaten streak to seven and complete a sweep of the series for three- and four-year-old stallion, colt and gelding trotters.
Whiskey Blu settled in third from post 7 but not for long, as Dan Charlino hustled him to the point past the quarter. The 3-year-old Southwind Frank-Kendall Blue gelding never was challenged thereafter, jogging off to score in 1:56.4 over a sloppy surface. Massive Stroke rallied for second, three lengths back, with The Great PG third.
Trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Kitefield Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC didn’t race Whiskey Blu at two, giving him time to mature. Now, with nothing but victories on his card in strictly local events, do his connections think he’ll be competitive against tougher?
“We honestly don’t know yet,” said Charlino, his pilot in all seven starts. “”We all thought he had a lot of talent and potential last year, and he just came unravelled a little bit. He races best when there’s a horse beside him, and that hasn’t happened yet. But he could be a good one.”
Whiskey Blu wasn’t the only trotter on Thursday’s card to extend an impressive winning streak. In the $21,500 final of the Mary Wohlmuth Memorial Trot for three- and four-year-old fillies and mares, Rebecca overcame a demanding trip from post 8 to notch her fourth consecutive victory.
Trainer/driver Dave Wade sent the four-year-old daughter of Explosive Matter-SJs Minolta for the lead, but it took her nearly three-eighths to reach it and cross over. Instead of tiring late, Rebecca surged through the lane and defeated long shot Caramel Macchiato by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:57.1. Early leader Wonmyheart Hanover earned show.
Rebecca’s game performance reminded Wade of her broodmare sire SJs Photo, whom Wade campaigned on both sides of the Atlantic.
“I was concerned when we got to the half because she didn’t have her ‘A’ game today,” said Wade, who owns the homebred with Gerald Brittingham. “I didn’t know if she’d be able to hold on. She showed me a quality I had in SJ. No matter what, the sonofagun tried hard. I hadn’t had to ask her for determination before today. But I asked her, and she showed it to me.”
He indicated Rebecca has no stake engagements this year.
“I think eventually she’ll be an Open trotter,” he said, “but I don’t want to rush her. We’ll let her tell me.”
Elsewhere on Thursday’s card, The First Step won the $16,200 Open Handicap Pace despite taking the overland route, triumphing in 1:51 for Dave Palone, Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura. The five-year-old Betterthancheddar-Mery Linny Lee gelding lifted his lifetime bankroll to $175,319. Rock Candy and Whos Better rounded out the ticket.
Live racing at The Meadows continues Friday when the 13-race program features a $4,798.83 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5 and the championship of the Wilbur Zendt Memorial Pace. First post is 12:45 p.m.
(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)