Meadowlands: Celebrity Bambino scores in Valley Victory elim

Celebrity Bambino, sent off as the 2-5 favorite, got up in the stretch to win the $20,000 Valley Victory elimination for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Driven by Yannick Gingras and starting from post eight, Celebrity Bambino left some and was able to land in fourth while Southwind Admiral (Todd McCarthy) gunned out from post four and cleared pole-sitter Kimmeridgian (Tim Tetrick) for the lead before the 28 second opening quarter. Southwind Admiral would go on to hit the half in 56 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:25 4/5, with Up Your Deo (Ake Svanstedt) moving first-over out of third heading to the latter marker and giving Celebrity Bambino the cover he was looking for.

In the lane Southwind Admiral weakened and gave way, with Celebrity Bambino charging on the outside and Kimmeridgian on the inside. It was a tight finish, but Celebrity Bambino got the nod, defeating Kimmeridgian by a head in 1:53 4/5. Up Your Deo, Upstaged (Brian Sears), and Te Amo Lindy (Andy McCarthy) rounded out the top five, with Point Of Perfect (Dexter Dunn), Purple Lord (David Miller) and Southwind Admiral also securing spots in next Saturday night's final. Those eight will meet bye takers Volume Eight and Kilmister.

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Ron Burke trains Celebrity Bambino, the runner-up in the Breeders Crown final, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., J&T Silva Stables, LLC., Knox Services Inc., and Phil Collura. Bred by White Birch Farm, the Muscle Hill colt was a $120,000 buy at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and has compiled a record of 5-3-2 from 11 attempts to go with earnings of $305,249. He paid $2.80 to win.