Bee Two Bee ($4.80) delivered a devastating knockout punch in Saturday’s (May 21) featured $12,000 Preferred Handicap Pace at Freehold Raceway, defeating Peace Out Posse by 5-1/4 lengths and equalling the 1:51.1 track record for older pacing horses, set by Riyadh in 1996.
Jack Pelling floated Bee Two Bee into midfield through the first turn as Alex Tye dueled clear of Warrawee Total just beyond the conclusion of a :27.1 first quarter. Bee Two Bee continued his uncovered attack off the second turn, edging Alex Tye for the lead through a :55.1 half before throwing down the gauntlet up the backstretch. A :56 second circuit sealed victory for the five-year-old son of Sunshine Beach, who powered away from the field on the final turn en route to his record-tying performance. Peace Out Posse (Austin Siegelman) was second, two lengths better than Prince McArdle N (Tyler Miller), who rallied from last to finish third.
Ron Burke trains 15-time winner Bee Two Bee for the Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.
Pelling led all drivers with three wins on the 12-race card; Troy Beyer, Miller and Siegelman recorded doubles.
Minore, Lee AHDC winners at Freehold
Paul Minore and Joe Lee won their respective $9,000 splits in the American Harness Drivers Club series on Saturday (May 21) at Freehold Raceway. Minore connected with Caviar Star in 1:59.4, and Lee scored with Hallanet in 1:59.
In the first division, Minore’s charge, Caviar Star, started from the pole position and zipped to the front for 2-1/4 length lead over Real McCoy (Dante Scattolini) when he passed the first stanza in :29.3. From there, Caviar Star raced virtually unchallenged past the half in :59.4 and three-quarters in 1:30. In the lane, Caviar Star showed the way and won by 1-1/4 lengths over Real McCoy. Masster Blue finished third for Tony Verruso, four lengths behind the winner.
Despite starting from the pole position, Caviar Star paid $28.00 to win. Tom Lail owns and trains the nine-year-old SJs Caviar stallion.
In the other division, My Big Kadillac (Mike Polanski) took the lead from post two, leaving Fiji and Dave Offenberg in the air when they passed the quarter in :29.1. My Big Kadillac remained strong on the lead by the half in :59.2, but at the three-quarters, a parked-out Southwind Frost (Bob Hechkoff) rushed alongside the leader, and they were one-two when they turned for home. But in the lane, Joe Lee found racing room up the inside with Hallanet, and they charged to a solid 1-1/4-length, 1:59 win. My Big Kadillac finished second, a neck ahead of Southwind Frost.
Hallanet, an 11-year-old Cash Hall gelding who paid $8.20 to win, is owned and trained by Bill MacKenzie.
The 2022 spring meet at Freehold concludes next week with live racing on both Friday (May 27) and Saturday (May 28). Post time is 12:30 p.m. both days.
(Freehold / AHDC)