Meadowlands: Burke quartet ready to make some noise in Graduate

Trainer Ron Burke's impressive stable will have many of its stars in action on Saturday night at the Meadowlands, with legs of the Graduate Series for 4-year-olds being split into two $50,000 divisions for trotters and two for pacers. For Burke, the Graduate will mark a return to the big track for It's Academic, as the son of Uncle Peter looks for his second straight Graduate score.

"He disappointed me just a little on Sunday," Burke said candidly of It's Academic's fourth-place finish in the Maxie Lee at Harrah's Philadelphia. "Then again, it was the first race he's had against the true aged horses, so maybe that's an excuse."

Burke's criticism aside, It's Academic's three-race win streak was broken, but the trainer still has an enormous amount of confidence in the horse.

"He got sharp late last year and has continued to race consistently well since," said Burke. "It's not like he was a big-track horse, but he seems to like the Meadowlands."

That's the good news for It's Academic fans and bad for his six rivals on Saturday in the evening's sixth race. Tim Tetrick will pick up the driving assignment from post two with regular pilot Yannick Gingras in Ohio, and Burke doesn't believe the change in drivers will make a difference.

Of course, there are a few horses in this Graduate division who may try for an upset, with Ready For Moni (post three) and Play Trix On Me (post five) coming off of winning trips in overnight events at the Meadowlands and looking to step up their collective games. Ready For Moni came from last to first in his debut on May 22, winning in 1:51 1/5. Play Trix On Me was a game first-over winner in 1:52 1/5 on May 29 prepping for this series.

Burke has traditionally had more pacing power in his large stable, and that holds true in the Graduate as well, with three horses entered in the two $50,000 divisions of the third leg that go as races eight and ten on the card. Last year's fastest 3-year-old Cattlewash, who won in 1:46 4/5 at The Red Mile, makes the first start of the year in the second division with David Miller in the bike from post seven.

"He's ready to rattle," said Burke with some conviction. "He's trained down well, and David (Miller) just loved his last qualifier."

The 4-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere has been doing double duty this spring, and according to Burke, bred some 70 mares already. Cattlewash won his first qualifier on May 22 in 1:50 3/5 at the Meadowlands and then came back a week later with a more impressive 1:49 2/5 clocking that should set him up nicely.

"He's another horse that took a long time to get into shape and was really at his best at the end of the season," said Burke.

Joining Cattlewash in this division is Elver Hanover (post six), who has apparently turned the corner and is now on the right path towards success in 2021.

"His first start (May 1) he tied up," said Burke. "He was loaded in his second start (May 15 Graduate leg) but didn't get any money. He was full of himself in his last start."

Elver Hanover won his last outing in 1:49 on May 22, going down the road in an overnight event at the Meadowlands and sprinting home in 26 1/5.

Both of Burke's horses will need to be razor-sharp in this Graduate division, as they cede post advantage to two-leg winner Ruthless Hanover, who drew the pole. Ruthless Hanover has been on quite a form spree for trainer Tom Cancelliere. The altered son of Somebeachsomewhere set a career-best with a 1:48 mile on May 15, winning his second straight Graduate leg at the Meadowlands.

Burke looks for improvement with The Greek Freak (post three) in the eighth race Graduate division. The Greek Freak was a bit too wound up in the second Graduate leg, and Burke made some changes to calm him down.

"The last start he was chasing Elver Hanover, and Andy (McCarthy) thought he was too lackadaisical," said Burke. "We'll try to find a happy medium this week."

The Greek Freak will need to be at his best in a field that includes the rugged Warrawee Vital (post two), a game 1:48 winner on May 22 that is in search of his first win in the series. Leg winners Poseidon Seelster (post five) and Captain Barbossa (post six) add to the depth in this contentious division.

The 14-race program on Saturday at the Meadowlands kicks off at 6:20 p.m.