Stuck on the outside in a demanding :26.4 opening quarter, Winning It dug in late to capture Friday’s $30,400 championship of the Tremor Hanover Pace at The Meadows and complete her sweep of the series for three-year-old fillies
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When Winning It drew post nine, Dave Palone said his game plan was to find a seat for the daughter of Dragon Again-Day After Day -- a strategy he modified as the race unfolded.
“I intended to let them mix it up and fall in,” Palone said. “She’s better tracking down horses. But the way they lined up, I thought it would be easier for my filly to go down the road than to try and battle first over.
“I think she’s a sires stake filly. She was a little nervous tonight, and I think that got her a little steppy late in the lane. She was wound up tight as a drum behind the gate. When I had to stir her a little bit to get to the front, she wouldn’t relax for me.”
Winning It had just enough to hold off the Lightning Lane surge of Sharkist Breeze by a head in 1:53. Winning It’s stablemate, Tykesa Moon, was third.
Ron Burke trains Winning It, who now has won six straight starts spanning two series, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Panhellenic Stable. Palone lauded Burke for keeping Winning It at her best over the course of two competitive series.
“That just shows you that trainers are sharper than drivers,” he said, “because if I’d had my pick of Ronnie’s horses, I would have picked Tykesa Moon. But Ronnie wanted me on this one, and it worked out. I have to give him the credit.”
Palone drove six winners — four for Burke — on the 15-race card.
(The Meadows)