Flamboro Downs: Rockin Ron keeps Wiggle It Jiggleit at bay to win Confederation Cup

Rockin Ron improved his 2016 record to 10-for-10 and turned back a final quarter challenge of Wiggle It Jiggleit to win the $244,000 Confederation Cup for 4-year-old pacers on Sunday night at Flamboro Downs.

Starting from post four, Rockin Ron (Yannick Gingras) let Rockin In Heaven (Trevor Henry) clear early, but then moved to the lead before the 26 2/5 opening quarter. Rockin Ron would go on to get the half in 55 3/5 with fellow Ron Burke trainee My Hero Ron (Matt Kakaley) positioned first-over and Wiggle It Jiggleit (Montrell Teague) on his cover.

Rockin Ron continued to show the way at three-quarters, which went on the board in 1:23 3/5, but Wiggle It Jiggleit was three-wide to get around My Hero Ron and was only a length behind.

In the final quarter Wiggle It Jiggleit tried to mount a rally on the pace-setter, but Rockin Ron had a 26 3/5 final quarter left to prevail by three-parts of a length in 1:50 1/5. Rodeo Romeo (Brett Miller) got third.

"He went a big mile. At the wire he honestly was just starting to get going," said Gingras. "If we went around again he was going to win anyway. I never touched him with the whip. I was ultra impressed by him.

"I was able to cross right over, but 26 2/5, 55, those are no easy fractions. 1:23 3/5, and he had 26 on the end of it to come home, so you've got to give credit to the horse. He put in a big performance."

Burke trains Rockin Ron, a gelded son of Real Desire, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., and RTC Stables Inc., all of Pennsylvania. This was his 19th win overall, and he has now earned well over $300,000. He paid $3.60 as the 4-5 second choice.

"That's very impressive. 26 3/5 tonight is a very good quarter, and Yannick really thought that he had more left," offered Burke. "This is another step in the right direction. Now we start to try to figure out where we go from here.

"We were going to go to the Graduate next week. I'm sure that's what we'll do, but I'm pretty much a week-to-week guy."