The Meadows: Racing resumes with series action Saturday

After a scheduled brief hiatus, racing returns to The Meadows on Saturday, April 27 with four Late Closer Finals being contested. Trainer Ron Burke is loaded with talent in these races and looks to complete a sweep of the events.

The $28,700 Margaret Provost Memorial Trot (Race 3) for 3-year-old filly trotters is led by the Ron Burke trained Firedbylindie, a daughter of Explosive Matter who was an easy winner in the first two legs of the series, with a career best 1:56 mile in her last start. Starting from post 4 the filly will be driven by Dave Palone. Her main competition looks to be coming from the Norm Parker trained Sweet Madam and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. from post 8.

The $26,300 Ruby Cook Memorial (Race 4) for 3-year-old filly pacers looks like a match race between the two Ron Burke-trained daughters of Sweet Lou, Pretty N Fast and Walk On Air. Both fillies have won their divisions the first two legs of the series. Dave Palone has driven both fillies in the previous legs and has selected to go with Pretty N Fast, while Mike Wilder picks up the mount of Walk On Air in the final. The two fillies will start next to each other from posts 4 and 5, respectively.

The $31,100 Ben Wood Memorial Trot (Race 5) for 3-year-old Colt and Gelding trotters is led by another Burke trainee, Capt Chaps Hanover, from post position 2. Winless in 9 starts as a 2-year-old, the gelded son of Explosive Matter is 3 for 4 in 2019 winning both of his legs in the series. His main competition looks to be from Cash Hit off the rail for trainer Steven Walters and driver Brady Brown, the Karen Fread trained Papi Hanover, post 4 and Dirk Simpson’s Explosive Magic from post 9.

The $25,400 Tom Kirwan Memorial Pace (Race 6) for 3-year-old Colt and Gelding pacers looks to be a wide open affair. Previous series winners Doctor Jimmy, who draws the coveted rail with Ronnie Wrenn Jr for trainer Brian Brown, Doc’s Hooligan, who draws post 2 for trainer Bruce Riegle and driver Tony Hall, and Wild Wild Western in post 9 for Norm Parker and Mike Wilder, are all in action. Although winless in the first two legs, the Ron Burke trained Yacht Week looks formidable after a third-place finish in his only start in the series. Yacht Week starts from post 8 and sports a 2-year-old record of 1:51 2/5 at Lexington’s Red Mile.

The Meadows will be rolling out its new starting gate on Saturday, with a reduced slant of 7 feet down from the previous slant of 13 feet. Post time for the 14-race card is 1:05 PM.

-edited release (The Meadows)