Sunday, April 6, 2014 Ron Burke...You Can't Fault a Guy for Being
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Sunday, April 6, 2014 worst sort betting races you can possibly imagine. It has to be fixed. The most obvious solution is for the New York Gaming Commission to do away with the rule that forces the Burke The Levy Series: A Bettor's Nightmare horses to be coupled. In this day and age, and especially By Bill Finley in races with purses of $50,000 or more, the coupling rule The Levy series at Yonkers features big money, terrific is about the dumbest thing going in racing. This is not 1974 horses, many of the best drivers in the sport and the weekly anymore. The purses are so big and the betting pools are feel-good saga of Foiled Again. For those who don't bet, so small that no one in their right mind would ever fool around in a race to cash a bet. You’re protecting a betting there's a lot to like about the Levy. For those who do, this public that doesn’t need to be protected. year's series has been, well, painful. The Gaming Commission is either not paying attention, Through the first stubborn or too lazy to change a rule that has to go. The two legs of the Levy, mere act of uncoupling the Burke horses would at least five of the nine break up the monotony of all these 1-5 and 1-9 entries. winners paid $3.10 Uncouple them and you might get one Burke horses at 4-5 or less, The common and another one at 9-5, which at least makes for a race a denominator, of bettor can have some interest in. course, was trainer It would also do away with the need to limit a trainer to Ron Burke. He two starters in the final. The rule is unfair to Burke and his stormed into the owners. If he has the best eight horses in the series let the Levy with final be eight Burke horses facing one another. As long as tremendous quantity they are uncoupled that would actually make for a terrific and quality and in betting race. most Levy races he (continued on next page) has an entry that is the odds-on favorite. Ron Burke...you can’t fault a guy for That's bad betting being good fare. The Levy got off to a bad start and then proceeded to get that much worse last night. The Burke show was nothing short of ridiculous. In all four of last night's Levy races he had an entry and every entry was the odds-on favorite. In the first Levy, there were five betting interest and Burke was 1-5. That was followed by another race with five betting interests and a 1-9 entry. Burke had a "long shot" in the third Levy, and his 1-2 entry of Itrustyou and Clear Vision actually lost. Again, there were five betting interests. Burke returned to the winner's circle as the great Foiled Again won the final Levy of the night. Another 1-9 shot. Another race with five betting interests. Can you say "brutal." Who's fault is it? Don't blame Burke. He's playing by the rules, trying to do his the best by his owners and his horses. You can't fault a guy for being good, for being dominant. Don't blame Yonkers. What are they supposed to do? Ban Burke because he's got far more fire power than everyone else? With the handle so pathetically low on these unplayable Levy races, they're not a culprit but a victim. But as long as Ron Burke is Ron Burke and as long as the Levy system stays the way it is this is going to remain the HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 4/6/14 PAGE 2 of 12 Then there's the matter of spreading the Burke horses out evenly among the various legs. Why do that? Let Burke be at the mercy fo the draw. If five of his horse wind up in the same race, so be it. Again, as long as the Burke horses are uncoupled, five Burkes in one race would make for an entertaining race the bettors would probably really like. Harness racing's single biggest problem is that there are not nearly enough customers. It's bad enough as it is. The New York Gaming Commission, as well as anyone else in power, should be working to fix the problems not creating them. Burke Hat Trick in Levy Round 3 By Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway YONKERS, NY, Saturday, April 5, 2014—The Ron Burke Stable ATM, officially named Yonkers Raceway’s George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, continued with Round 3 Saturday night. Burke trained the winners in all but one of the evening’s four, $50,000 divisions. Since the last (grouping) shall be first, let us begin where we usually do, with Foiled Again. He and driver Yannick Gingras went the distance, though not without having to work for it. Drawing outside his six rivals, Foiled Again quickly negated that nuisance. He went around pole-sitting P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett) before a 27-second opening quarter-mile. From there, the match race was on. After a :55.4 half, these two separated themselves from the overmatched quintet. Foiled Again found three-quarters in 1:24, taking a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. Then, P H Supercam took his shot. He dove inside and close ground, but could not reach. Foiled Again prevailed by a head in 1:52. Rock on Moe (Eric Carlson) was a best-of-the-rest third as the 66-1 rank outsider. Foiled Again (photo by Mike Lizzi) For Foiled Again, a 10-year-old Dragon Again gelding, the $25,000 payday increased his lifetime loot to $6,105,968 (79-for-201). Burke co-owns (as Burke Racing) with Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stables. Foiled Again, now 3-for-3 in this series and the season, returned the legal-minimum $2.10, with the exacta (two wagering choices) paid a season-low $3.10. Triple wagering was a no-no in all divisions due to limited wagering interests. (continued on next page) HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 4/6/14 PAGE 3 of 12 “The first two weeks, he didn’t have any pressure,” Gingras “It’s always a challenge for a 4-year-old in this series. All said. “(Tonight), I wanted to air it out a bit. the credit goes to Ben (Wallace). He managed him very “Even so, he was loafing around until he heard (P H well (in Canada). He wasn’t getting tested up there, and Supercam) coming. Then, he picked it up and he dug in. was racing every other week. Going into this series, I There was no way the other horse was going by me.” wanted to make him work harder, because I knew he’d be Getting in the way of a Burke blitz was Apprentice Hanover taking on top horses.” (Jody Jamieson). After a pair of seconds (one in a dead-heat) in this series, the Ontario contingent broke Saturday night’s other Levy winners were: through. --Easy Again,r,5 (by Dragon Again); co-owners (as Leaving from post No. 3 in the third division, Apprentice Burke Racing, trainer) Burke,Weaver Bruscemi,M1 and Hanover was away third as Itrustyou (Gingras)—part of Panhellenic Stbs/driver Brennan; 1:53.1/$2.40 (POE). Burke’s 1-2 favored entry—set sail through intervals of :26.4 --Bettor’s Edge,g,5 (by Bettor’s Delight); co-owners (as and 56.3. Burke Racing, trainer) Burke,Weaver Bruscemi,M1 Apprentice Hanover then moved to the leader, who offered Stb/driver Gingras; 1:52.2/$2.20 (POE). just passive resistance. It was Apprentice Hanover grabbing the lead before a 1:23.3 three-quarters, leaving two-leg As with Foiled Again, Bettor’s Edge is 3-for-3 in this winner Mach it So (Tim Tetrick) first-up. series. The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule The lead was two lengths turning for home, and Apprentice continues, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Hanover needed all of it. Mach it So moved to him but Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening missed a neck in 1:52.4. Third went to rallying Clear Vision simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon (George Brennan), part of the favored twosome. simulcasting available daily. For Apprentice Hanover, a 4-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere owned by Brad Grant and trained by Great 10-Year-Olds. Foiled Again Isn't The First Ben Wallace, he returned $7.50 (third choice) for his sixth By Lucas Marquardt win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $22.40. Horses aren't reincarnated. Or are they? There are so “He was a little funny in the first turn, same as he was in many similarities between Su Mac Lad and Foiled Again the last turn in the opening round,” Jamieson said. “I thought that it makes you wonder. Did Su Mac Lad turn into a it may have cost me early position. (continued on next page) HarnessRacingUpdate.com • 4/6/14 PAGE 4 of 12 pacer and come back as Foiled Again? did not start to hit his peak until age seven, when he made Su Mac Lad last raced on September 30, 1965 as an $1,405,747, to this day his best year ever. Su Mac Lad 11-year-old, winning the Trader Horn Trot at Roosevelt also had his best earnings year as a 7-year-old.