Vernon, N.Y. -- Trainer Ron
Burke and driver Jim Morrrill, Jr. teamed up to sweep a pair of $61,300 New
York Sire Stakes events for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Saturday
(June 6) evening at Vernon Downs.
In the first division, Habitat
($3.00) brushed from the pocket through a :57.1 initial half, clearing early
pacesetter Wings of Royalty (Chris Lems) before facing first-over pressure on
the far turn from Buen Camino (Trond Smedshammer). The son of Conway Hall
and Habit's Best dug in at head-stretch, turning aside Buen Camino and holding
clear of Wings of Royalty by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:53.4. The Burke Racing
Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, and Weaver Bruscemi, LLC own Habitat.
The other division saw Crazy
Wow ($2.10) mount a monstrous recovery to overcome an interference break he
suffered at the start. An early break by Royal Deceptor (Michael
McGivern) seemingly took Crazy Wow out of contention at the completion of a
:27.2 first quarter, but the son of Crazed and No Pan No Gain worked to catch
the field on the far turn, storming through up the pegs to collar pacesetter
Mythology Bluechip (Aaron Byron) in the final yards of a 1:55.2 mile. The
Our Horse Cents Stables shares ownership of Crazy Wow with the JT 45 group and
the J. & T. Silva Stables, LLC.
A trio of $10,000 Open events
headlined the undercard, with Keene Olivia ($2.90, Morrill, 1:50.4) rallying to
win the Mares Pace, Modest Prince ($7.90, Morrill, 1:53.1) pouncing from the
pocket to beat the favored Bourbon Bay in the Trot, and Big Jer ($5.60, Greg
Merton, 1:49.2) also striking from the pocket to upend JK Panache in the Pace.
Live racing returns to Vernon
Downs on Sunday (June 7) afternoon, with first post slated for 1:15 p.m.
Eastern time.
