With an explosive stretch kick, McCedes ($10.00) prevailed in a $30,000 Four-Year-Old Open on Friday, June 12 at Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack, holding off Moon Beam in a 1:50.3 effort
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The four-year-old McArdle gelding sat well-back of a pressured pace, which saw One False Move (George Napolitano, Jr.) park Proper Respect (Carlo Poliseno) to a :54.3 half. Blueridge Western (Tony Morgan) circled the tiring Proper Respect at race's midpoint, and Corey Callahan followed cover with McCedes up the backstretch, moving to within four lengths of One False Move at a three-quarter split of 1:22.1. With the pace beginning to fold in, Blueridge Western struck the front, but McCedes swept up off cover short of the 150-yard mark to take the lead, holding off a late charge from Moon Beam (Eric Goodell) by three parts of a length. Blueridge Western was a game third.
Ron Burke trains McCedes for the Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, the JJK Stables, and James Koran.
(Harrah's Chester)