Mattwestern, who had dominated the first three legs of the Donna Dunn Memorial Pace, unexpectedly found herself in a horse race in the championship. But she dug in Friday at The Meadows to capture the $28,500 final of the series for three and four-year-old fillies and mares.
When Mattwestern made her customary quarter-pole move to the lead for Dave Palone, it appeared the 1-5 favourite would have little trouble completing the series sweep. But Lil Miss Snowflake launched a serious first-over challenge while Save My Dragon, Mattwestern’s stablemate and also undefeated in three Donna Dunn starts, loomed large in the Lightning Lane.
Mattwestern held on to prevail in 1:53.3, half a length better than Save My Dragon, with Lil Miss Snowflake third.
Ron Burke trains the three-year-old daughter of Western Terror-Mattonement for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
In the $18,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Trot, Paulette Revere moved powerfully first over for Mike Wilder and scored in 1:54, a career-best and the fastest this year for an older trotting mare on a five-eighths mile track. RT Sun Poco was second by a neck with Action Broadway third.
Mike Palone trains Paulette Revere, a five-year-old daughter of Victory Sam-Hopeful Joy, for Brian Gillespie.
Palone drove three winners — all for Burke — on the 12-race card while Tony Hall also enjoyed a driving triple.
(The Meadows)