A pair of millionaires and one rising star from the Ron Burke stable prepped for their upcoming stakes assignments with winning efforts during the Tuesday morning, Aug. 27 qualifying session at The Meadows.
Coming off an 11-week layoff, Dan Patch Award winner Bythemissal returned to action with a 1:51.3 qualifying mile, taking the lead through a half in :58 and reeling off back-to-back :26.4 panels in a race of his own with Chris Page in the sulky. Finishing 14 lengths behind the Grand Circuit stakes star, Rocked N Loaded and Tonianne were second and third.
A five-year-old gelded son of Downbytheseaside, Bythemissal has won 25 races and more than $2.25 million for owners Burke Racing Stable, Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing and Weaver Bruscemi. He has made just two starts so far this year, finishing fifth in the Joseph Auger Memorial Invitational at Harrah's Philadelphia on May 26 and the Battle Of Lake Erie at Northfield Park in his last outing on June 8.
"He was super, couldn't be happier," Burke told Trot Insider after the qualifier, indicating the pacer's next stakes engagement will be the Jim Ewart Memorial, scheduled for Sept. 7 at Scioto Downs.
O'Brien Award-winning trotting colt T C I won his qualifier in 1:54.3, closing in :27.2 off a pocket trip for Page to defeat older trotters. The Burke-trained sophomore defeated pacesetter Benjamin Hanover (:30, :59, 1:26.4) with Redwhite N Good third.
A career winner of more than $1.76 million, the son of Cantab Hall has won half of his eight seasonal starts, last appearing in the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial on Aug. 17 at Pocono, where he broke stride at the start putting out of contention. He is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi.
Burke was pleased with the qualifying mile for the Hambletonian elimination winner T C I, who will compete in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship on Sept. 9 at Pocono Downs before heading north of the border for the Canadian Trotting Classic eliminations on Sept. 14 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Another star rising from the Burke stable is the undefeated two-year-old pacing colt Swingtown, who won his qualifier in 1:54.1, closing from third with a :26.4 final frame in rein to Page to defeat stablemate Kat, a seven-year-old Open mare who set fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:26.2 to three-quarters.
Swingtown, a Downbytheseaside colt out of the stakes-winning mare Swinging Beauty, has won four Ohio stakes to launch his career and is being pointed to the $1 million Metro Pace at Mohawk, with eliminations set for Sept. 14 ahead of the Sept. 21 final.
Burke had high praise for the $160,000 yearling acquisition, stating that he feels he's a "better colt" than world champion Sippinonsearoc, who made headlines with his 1:48.2 mile earlier this month over The Red Mile.
Swingtown is also owned by Burke Racing Stable, Hatfield Stables and Knox Services along with R A S Racing.
Replays of the morning's qualifying session are available below courtesy of the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, including Swingtown (Race 1), Bythemissal (Race 5) and T C I (Race 6).
(Standardbred Canada)