Trainer Ron Burke and driver Jim Morrrill Jr. teamed up to sweep a pair of $61,300 New York Sire Stakes events for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Saturday (June 6) evening at Vernon Downs.
In the first division, O'Brien Award winner Habitat ($3.00) brushed from the pocket through a :57.1 initial half, clearing early pacesetter Wings Of Royalty (Chris Lems) before facing first-over pressure on the far turn from Buen Camino (Trond Smedshammer). The son of Conway Hall and Habits Best dug in at head-stretch, turning aside Buen Camino and holding clear of Wings Of Royalty by one and a half lengths in 1:53.4. The Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, and Weaver Bruscemi, LLC own Habitat.
The other division saw Crazy Wow ($2.10) mount a monstrous recovery to overcome an interference break he suffered at the start. An early break by Royal Deceptor (Michael McGivern) seemingly took Crazy Wow out of contention at the completion of a :27.2 first quarter, but the son of Crazed and No Pan No Gain worked to catch the field on the far turn, storming through up the pegs to collar pacesetter Mythology Bluechip (Aaron Byron) in the final yards of a 1:55.2 mile. The Our Horse Cents Stables shares ownership of Crazy Wow with the JT 45 group and the J & T Silva Stables LLC.
A trio of $10,000 Open events headlined the undercard, with Keene Olivia ($2.90, Morrill, 1:50.4) rallying to win the Mares Pace, Modest Prince ($7.90, Morrill, 1:53.1) pouncing from the pocket to beat the favoured Bourbon Bay in the Trot, and Big Jer ($5.60, Greg Merton, 1:49.2) also striking from the pocket to upend JK Panache in the Pace.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Sunday (June 7) afternoon, with first post slated for 1:15 p.m. Eastern time.
(Vernon Downs)