Meadowlands: Burke Brigade out in full force Saturday

The sport's top trainer Ron Burke has a host of horses entered Saturday night at the Meadowlands. As has often been the case with a stable of this size and racing at the Meadowlands, Burke finds himself with multiple entries in specific classes but accepts his fate and looks for a one-two finish when he can.

On Saturday night a pair of sophomores will kick off the action with Panettone Hanover and Idiosyncratic opposing each other, as well as eight rivals from other stables, in the $14,500 event for non-winners of two races.

"They're both nice colts," said Burke upon returning from Florida where he has 75 juveniles in training. "They were both second-level colts last year that I expect will be better 3-year-olds."

Idiosyncratic raced just four times as a 2-year-old without a victory but made his sophomore debut a winning one for driver Yannick Gingras on February 4 in a 1:52 2/5 clocking.

"He was a bit of a disappointment last year," said Burke of the homebred Idiosyncratic, a son of Sweet Lou. "I thought he qualified good and then raced better in his first start."

As for Panettone Hanover, a son of Captaintreacherous, and a half-brother to Papi Rob Hanover, Saturday marks his sophomore debut after finishing off-the-board in all eight starts.

"I thought he qualified well," said Burke. "That wasn't really the best trip for him with Yannick out there looking for cover and not getting any.

"Yannick liked him and that's generally a good sign."

Burke again has a pair in the fifth race with Frank The Elder (post four) and Favorite Aunt (post five) facing eight others in a combined conditioned class with a $18,000 purse for trotters.

"I think Frank The Elder should be good in there," said Burke. "Favorite Aunt qualified well, but they combined classes here and this is too tough for her."

In one of Saturday night's features, Burke sends out As Always (post two) in the eighth race, a non-winners of $20,000 last five class worth $23,000. The $1.6 million winner Jimmy Freight makes his 8-year-old debut following two solid qualifiers in the field, having drawn post six. Seriously Hanover has been the sharpest horse in North America at the Meadowlands this winter, and he'll join the nine-horse field from post seven for trainer Travis Alexander. Burke's 5-year-old As Always was a 1:51 1/5 winner against weaker foes this past Saturday (February 11).

"I think he's got a shot in there," said Burke. "It seems like the big track steps him up." As Always landed post two and could benefit from a hot pace.

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The $31,500 featured Open Trot carded as race 10 of 14 on Saturday night finds Burke with two entered among the seven in the field, with Hillexotic (post four) the likely better proposition when compared with Lexus Kody (post seven) in the group.

"Hillexotic got a brutal trip in his first start at Dover," said Burke of the 6-year-old that went overland on February 7 for much of the mile and finished sixth. "I think he'll be much better in here."

Hillexotic finished on-the-board in 15 of his 20 starts last year and took a 1:50 3/5 mark at the Meadowlands while earning north of a quarter-million dollars on the season.

Lexus Kody is winless in three starts this year and Burke is changing tactics with him. "We're adding trotting hopples. There's nothing wrong with his gait; he's just getting excited and making breaks," said Burke. "I did this with his brother [Lexus Markus] and it helped him, so we're hoping to leave them on for a few starts."

Lexus Kody is wickedly-fast and as a 4-year-old in 2022 finished first or second in 12 of his 14 races.

Joining Burke's pair in the trotting feature is Ahundreddollarbill (post five), a son of Chapter Seven that closed out his 2022 season with a pair of wins at the Meadowlands in December and now debuts for trainer Tony Alagna following a most impressive qualifier last Saturday (February 11).

Burke has 89 2-year-olds in training with 75 of those in Florida. A fixture with aged pacers during his Hall of Fame career, Burke has four horses being pointed towards the MGM Borgata Pacing Series that begins in March at Yonkers.

"I'm putting in This Is The Plan, Hellabalou, Bee Two Bee and Semi Tough," said Burke.

The trainer is also looking to buy a potential Blue Chip Matchmaker contender. "I don't want to put a 4-year-old in those series. I put Scarlett Hanover in there last year and it ruined her," said Burke.

A notable absentee from the Borgata on the Burke front is Bythemissal. The 4-year-old will likely make his debut a few weeks before the Graduate Series first leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 3.