Away a worrisome sixth as the 1-5 favourite, Winning It rallied strongly third over to capture Friday’s $27,400 championship of the Donna Dunn Memorial Pace at The Meadows and complete her sweep of the series for three- and four-year-old fillies and mares
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Although Winning It won her first two Dunn divisions on or near the front end, she could not make the early lead in the final despite leaving from the rail.
“I hated the draw when it came out,” said winning driver Dave Palone, “because this is a filly you don’t want to stir up leaving. So I just had to let the dust settle. It’s so easy to get looped from the rail, and you know in a final, four or five guys will be taking a shot. I pretty much knew that’s where I would get away. I thought, we’ll just sit back here and give her one run, and she liked it.”
The three-year-old daughter of Dragon Again-Day After Day responded eagerly when Palone moved her around cover and scored in 1:53.3. Third Times Acharm shot the Lightning Lane for second while Chloe Hall was third.
“This was a lesson for her,” Palone said. “To be an effective sires stakes filly, she has to learn to race both ways anyway.”
Ron Burke trains Winning It, who was won eight of her 11 career starts, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Panhellenic Stable.
In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace, Cams Van Go worked out a cozy pocket trip behind Red Star Hottie, then brushed by late to down that rival by three-quarters of a length in 1:52. Jans Luck was third. Greg Grismore drove for trainer Kent Sherman and owners/breeders Chris Arold, Kenneth Kohut and Michael Drury.
With the victory, the six-year-old daughter of Real Artist-Cams Valentine soared over $400,000 in lifetime earnings.
Palone drove four winners — three for Burke — on the 15-race card while Brett Miller enjoyed a driving triple.
(The Meadows)