Pocono: Burke barn triples in PA All-Stars for two-year-old pacing fillies

Trainer Ron Burke sent out winners in three of the four $30,000 divisions of Pennsylvania All-Stars competition at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday night. Simon Allard drove two of the successful freshman fillies for Burke, including the fastest winner, Shouldabeenatd, whose 1:52 3/5 winning time was a North American season’s record.

Allard left with the Sweet Lou–Breakheart Pass filly, then let Lyons Sentinel go to the top before the 27 2/5 quarter; that one in turn gave way to favored Firefly in front of the stands, and she went on to the half in 56 seconds, with Shouldabeenatd coming back for more first-over and battling the leader to the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters.

Neither of the front-enders gave an inch around the turn and into the stretch, where Lyons Sentinel joined them in the Pocono Pike. Shouldabeenatd showed tenacity late in putting up a head decision over Lyons Sentinel, with Firefly fading slightly late to be another length back. The winner, who had a 1:54 1/5 qualifying win at the Meadowlands and was second in her purse bow, is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

The former season’s record of 1:53 2/5 had been equaled by another Burke/Allard combination earlier, when the A Rocknroll Dance–Liscaramore miss Dance Club notched her first purse win after a 1:57 Gaitway off track qualifier. Dance Club made two early moves, then sat in the two-hole while All In Fun and favored Wayside dueled on the front-end, then cleared in the lane and paced off to a 1 3/4 length victory over All In Fun for Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Knox Services Inc., and David Wills.

Mike Simons was in the sulky for Burke when the Somebeachsomewhere–Palazzo Princess distaff Sailaja Deo took her All-Stars event in 1:56 in her purse debut, coming after a 1:55 qualifying win at Gaitway. Simons had Sailaja Deo in the pocket behind pace-setting favorite Silver Tail, shifted outside when first-over Blood Red got by the pace-setter late on the turn, then ducked back inside and caught Blood Red by a head for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Phil Collura, Lawrence Karr, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.

None of the Burke winners was favored by the Pocono faithful, but the fourth divisional winner, the Captaintreacherous–Cashaway filly Lyons Monatize, did reward the crowd’s backing of her as she won by the largest margin, 2 1/2 lengths, in 1:55 1/5 for driver Jim Morrill Jr. The Gareth Dowse trainee stepped home in 27 4/5 with no pressure to take her initial purse start (she had won a Pocono qualifier in the same time as this victory) for owner Geoffrey Lyons Mound.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--