BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, December 7, 2013--Double-millionaire Sweet Lou (George
Brennan) made a successful local debut Saturday night, winning Yonkers
Raceway's $37,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Ordered outside his seven rivals
(though inside one notch after a defection), 3-5 choice "Lou" worked
around Sapphire City (Eric Carlson), making the before a quick :26.3
opening quarter. It was a rated 30-second quarter (:56.3) with Ardyne Ace
(Larry Stalbaum) moving from fifth.
That one offered minimal grief in
and out of a 1:24.3 three-quarters, with Sweet Lou taking a couple of lengths
into the lane, The people's preference then held the gang at bay, whipping
Sapphire City by a length in 1:52...snappy :27.2 final quarter.
Third went to a three-hole
Lumberjack Willie (catch-driver Jordan Stratton), with Pan from Nantucket (Eric
Goodell) and Ardyne Ace rounded out the payees.
For Sweet Lou, a 4-year-old son of
Yankee Cruiser co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver
Bruscemi, Lawrence Karr and Philip Collura, he returned $3.30 for his fourth
win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid $10.60,
with the triple returning $49.
It should be noted that Sweet Lou's
only half-mile experience prior to Saturday was the 2012 Little Brown Jug, when
he won his heat before finishing second in the final. It is surmised he's going
to join the Burke contingent in next season's George Morton Levy Memorial
Pacing Series.
The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule continues, with first post
every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening
simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting
now available daily.
