Meadowlands: Burke brigade in Graduate finals led by Atlanta

Trainer Ron Burke enters Saturday night’s pair of $250,000 Graduate Finals at The Meadowlands with some of the key players, but the sport’s leading trainer won’t allow himself to become overconfident.

“There’s a lot of good horses in there,” Burke said when speaking of the trotting half. Burke sends out two of the 10 with Atlanta the 9/5 morning line favorite drawing post four and Mission Accepted getting post seven.

“I’m not worried about Atlanta,” said Burke, who confirmed last year’s Hambletonian winner was ready for the race. “But the others are pretty good. Fiftydallarbill was very sharp in his last start and you have to think Six Pack is coming around.” Clearly despite Atlanta winning all of her five starts this year including a pair of Graduate divisions, Burke expects others to play a role.

The Graduate final for 4-year-old trotters is race six on the 11-race Meadowlands program and Burke’s duo will have to contend with Fiftydallarbill (post 3), who out-dueled Six Pack (post 9) in the June 21 final preliminary Graduate leg here in East Rutherford. Leg winner Crystal Fashion (post 5) has Tim Tetrick in the bike. The field includes the dominant three trotting fillies of 2018, with Phaetosive (post 6) and Manchego (post 10) joining Atlanta in the star-studded field.

Burke second charge in the field, Mission Accepted has his work cut out for him. “He’s a notch under these but he’s got speed and he’ll fight to the end,” said Burke of Mission Accepted, a horse he suggests is better suited for the smaller tracks.

Burke was extremely happy that This Is The Plan was able to get into the final in spite of not being among the top 10 point earners in the preliminaries. “If you look back at his lines you can understand how he was actually racing well but not winning,” said Burke about This Is The Plan, who captured last Saturday’s $500,000 Ben Franklin at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Prior to the victory This Is The Plan had gone winless in seven starts as a 4-year-old. A gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere, This Is The Plan drew post four in the Graduate final for 4-year-old pacers carded as race 10. Yannick Gingras will guide him once again.

“A lot of these 4-year-olds have improved from their 3-year-old seasons,” said Burke, offering praise to some that have elevated their games this year. Certainly on that list would be Backstreet Shadow, already a 5-time winner in 2019, Backstreet Shadow captured a Graduate leg at Tioga Downs in 1:49 1/5 defeating This Is The Plan for trainer Scott DiDomenico. The Shadow Play-sired gelding came back with a career best 1:47 4/5 clocking at The Meadowlands on June 22.

Burke also has Done Well in the Graduate final and despite drawing post eight the trainer was somewhat encouraged by his last outing. “He scoped terribly after his last start,” said Burke referring to a ninth-place finish at Pocono. “I thought he had sneaky pace finishing last week.” Done Well came home in 25 4/5 while finishing fifth in a Graduate leg at The Meadowlands last Friday. “He’s a horse that can really get out of the gate. He won’t be taking back from post eight,” Burke said.

Joining Burke’s tandem is last year’s Meadowlands Pace winner Courtly Choice (post 6), who won two of his first three races this year but has struggled in recent weeks. Courtly Choice drew post six for the final. Always A Prince, Indiana’s top sophomore of a year ago, showed raw power and determination in a career best 1:47 3/5 victory in last week’s Graduate leg at The Meadowlands. Trained by Tyler George Always A Prince drew post two.

Lather Up has had some brilliant miles this year and looks to bounce back after a break in stride last week in the Franklin final. Montrell Teague will sit behind Lather Up from post three.

Trainer Jeff Gillis’ The Downtown Bus has captured two preliminary legs of the Graduate and looks to take the final from post five.

Then there’s Jimmy Freight, four times second in seven starts this year, the son of Sportswriter will need his A-game from post nine. Andrew Harris conditions Jimmy Freight who gets Jason Bartlett’s services.

Burke entered just one colt in the Meadowlands Pace and hopes that De Los Cielos Deo can reach the final. “He drew eight and there’s plenty of speed,” Burke said. “He’s going to have to pass a few to finish in the top five.”