Rampage Jackson saved all the ground, then blew past the field late to score in a stakes-fastest 1:52.1 in Thursday’s $140,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series event
at The Meadows.
The stake for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers was conducted over seven divisions, with Voice Of Truth, Mc Rusty, Jolly Jubiter, Sharp West Hanover, Mcmarvel and Hacienda also capturing splits. Dave Palone fashioned a stake four-bagger with Rampage Jackson, Voice Of Truth, Mcmarvel and Hacienda.
Palone kept Rampage Jackson snugly along the pylons until the stretch, when the son of Ponder-Miss Yankee Doodle moved wide and drew off to score by four lengths over No Oil Paint while lowering his lifetime mark by more than three seconds. Early leader Mcsocks saved show.
“When you don’t have much to go on, as was the case here, there are three things you look for: watch him warm up, try and get a feel for him when you’re scoring down and his looks,” Palone said. “He was good warming up, he felt great scoring down, and he looks like a horse.”
Ron Burke trains Rampage Jackson for Wilson Racing Stable and David Yohe.
Voice Of Truth got away no better than fourth in his six most recent races - exactly the way trainer Brian Magie, Jr. planned it.
“As a two-year-old, he was on the front end a lot, and he was starting to turn into a speed rat,” said Magie of Judy Magie’s Real Desire-Shandelle Hanover homebred. “So we regrouped for this year and decided we would strictly chase horses down. He’s really taken to that.”
Voice Of Truth confirmed the wisdom of that approach by moving uncovered from fourth and destroying the field in a career-best clocking of 1:53.3. Upfront Ellijay Ed was second, 8-1/2 lengths back, with Amped Up third.
Mc Rusty had just one previous 2011 start, a dismal May 7 outing when he broke stride early and often. On Thursday, however, he sustained a powerful first-over bid for Tony Hall and wore down the leader, Border Fighting. Mc Rusty triumphed in 1:54. He was 1-1/2 lengths better than Four Starz O, while Border Fighting completed the ticket.
“I really didn’t know what to expect, but we got away in a spot where I was forced to make that move,” Hall said. “I asked him around the final turn, and he had plenty. He just kept grinding to the front.”
Steve Elliott trains Mc Rusty, a son of Mcardle-Barely Legal, for Martha Frank and Carter Racing Stable.
Friday’s card at The Meadows features a $210,234 Pennsylvania Sires Stake for sophomore colt and gelding pacers that pits Big Bad John and Custard The Dragon — two colts aspiring to divisional honours — in the same split, which goes as Race 6. First post Friday is 6:55 p.m.
(The Meadows)