Dover: Burke duo takes aim at Matron Stakes

The final month of the Grand Circuit season kicks off Thursday (Nov. 5) with the $115,000 Grade 3 Matron Stakes for 2-year-old male pacers at Bally’s Dover.

The Ron Burke-trained duo of Eastie Boy and Stonebridge Blitz will head to the race as the top choices on the morning line, at 2-1 and 5-2 respectively, after drawing the inside posts in the six-horse field.

Eastie Boy, who counts the Metro Pace (G1) among his four wins this season, will start from post 1 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky. The homebred son of Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer has hit the board in eight of 11 races and earned $590,432 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Phil Collura. He finished fourth in the Breeders Crown for freshman male pacers in his most recent start, Oct. 23 at Eldorado Scioto Downs, where he was beaten by a length.

Stonebridge Blitz has two victories this season, which came in divisions of the Bluegrass (G3) and International Stallion (G3) stakes last month at the Red Mile, and will leave from post 2 on Thursday with driver Yannick Gingras. The son of Tall Dark Stranger-Shouldabeenatd has six top-three finishes in 12 races and earnings of $174,692 for owners Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, Michael Rosenthal, and Frank Baldachino. He finished sixth from post 8 in the Breeders Crown.

“Both of them seem really good going in,” Burke said about the Matron, which is the first of this month’s 14 scheduled graded stakes events. “Both were good (in the Breeders Crown), they just didn’t get clean trips. I’d expect them both to be very good here.”

Eastie Boy started the Breeders Crown final from post 6 and made up more than two lengths from fifth place in the stretch despite having to angle four-wide from off the pylons. He paced his last quarter in 26 1/5 and missed third place by a quarter-length. Stonebridge Blitz was in ninth at three-quarters and got home in 26, equaling the fastest last quarter of any horse in the field.

“When Eastie Boy got out, he was loaded,” Burke said. “He was very good. (Stonebridge Blitz) also was really good. There was no chance from where they were sitting. They can be way more aggressive in this spot.”

Prior to the Breeders Crown eliminations and final, Stonebridge Blitz had a second-place finish in the Elevation (G3) at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in late September followed by his two wins at the Red Mile.

“We made a bit change on him (before the Elevation), and he’s able to be held now, and that’s been the whole difference with him,” Burke said at the Breeders Crown. “Before, he was about half out of control. Now, he’s easy going, so we’re happy.”

Eastie Boy, who is a full brother to two-time Dan Patch Award-winner Louprint and half-brother to graded-stakes-winner Shacarri, hit the board in seven consecutive races prior to just missing the top three at the Breeders Crown.

“He's just a really, really good horse,” Burke said. “He just tries hard. He’s a brother to Louprint and Shacarri; that mare (Rockin Racer) just seems to make horses that try their hearts out. I'm really happy with him.”

Eastie Boy leads all 2-year-old male pacers in earnings, with Breeders Crown (G1) champion Blazin Lou second with $519,550. Starstruck Dreamer and Shalom Hanover also have banked more than $400,000 this season.

Following the Matron, one graded event for the freshman boys remains – the Governor’s Cup (G1) on Nov. 14 at the Meadowlands. Burke plans on sending Eastie Boy there.

“I think he’s sharp and I’ve not over-raced him, so I’m going to give him a shot,” he said.

The Matron Stakes is race 8 on Thursday’s 13-race card at Bally’s Dover, with an estimated 6:50 p.m. (EST) post time. Hungry Marco, a winner on the Pennsylvania stakes circuit, is the 7-2 third choice on the morning line. The son of Stay Hungry-Always Giggling will leave from post 5 with Tim Tetrick driving for trainer Jamie Sullivan.