Trailing by six lengths at the half, Count Me In launched a prolonged move that carried him to victory in Monday’s $18,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
Count Me In picked up live cover from Ladys Dude but remained three lengths back at the top of the lane. The six-year-old Full Count-Howl gelding found another gear for Mike Wilder and zipped by the leader, Tamarind, to triumph in 1:54.1.
Classicality rallied for second, three-quarters of a length back, while Tamarind saved show.
Ron Burke trains Count Me In, who extended his career bankroll to $439,319, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable and Michelle Yanek.
Palone picked up three victories on the 14-race card, but the most noteworthy Palone news came earlier Monday from the nearby Washington County Fair.
In a rare fair appearance for the sport’s winningest driver, Palone piloted recent Burke acquisition Hs Pearl to victory in a Pennsylvania Fairs Sires Stake. According to the United States Trotting Association, it was the first PA Fairs Sires Stake win for the Hall of Famer since 1992 —- when USTA began archiving fairs results —- at the latest. Palone collected several wins in fairs overnight events after 1992.
Tuesday’s program at The Meadows features the $100,000 PA Stallion Series stake for two-year-old filly pacers. First post is 12:55 p.m.
(Meadows)