MGM Northfield Park returned to racing action on Saturday, Aug. 26 following a track resurfacing project. On Sunday (Aug. 27), the sport's leading trainer, Ron Burke, conditioned two of racing's finest to victories in the $22,000 featured events.
Following a 15-day layoff, Smoking Jet (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) put it all together, returning to the winner's circle on Sunday after the $22,000 Open Trot.
Smoking Jet, who struggled to deal with post seven in the Tom Aldrich President's Trot on Aug. 12, got a good draw this week, helping him secure his seventh victory of the season.
The lead has not been the spot to be this weekend, but Wrenn hustled Smoking Jet off the wings, beating rivals to the first turn and forcing Winning Shadow (Chris Lems) into the pocket entering the backstretch.
It appeared that Lems would take a shot at the leader before the quarter of :28.4, but thought better of it and decided to save ground around the far turn for the first time. Wrenn worked out a :30 breather by the stands for the first time, sans challengers.
Wrenn stepped on the gas into the backstretch for the final time, with a :28 third quarter, arriving in 1:26.4. Turning for home, Wrenn called on Smoking Jet, and he responded, opening up on the field through the stretch, winning by four lengths in 1:55. Dont Take My Keys (Ryan Stahl) nailed Winning Shadow for third. Long Live The King finished fourth.
Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Chris Page, the Ohio-bred son of Triumphant Caviar now has $467,262 in the bank.
Wrenn used some of the same tactics in the $22,000 Open Pace as he guided Bronx Seelster (pictured above) to a gate-to-wire victory, but his path to the lead was more challenging this time around.
Caught three-wide around the opening turn, stablemate Shnitzledosomethin (Hunter Myers) and Elliot Moose (Aaron Merriman) kept the favourite outside, but moving into the backstretch, Wrenn was able to clear.
Arriving at the quarter in :27.1, Bronx Seelster began to feel some pressure coming to the half in :56.4, with Camouflage Money (Chris Lems) and Sawyers Desire (Billy Davis Jr.) applying pressure.
The outer flow began to creep forward into the backstretch, and at three-quarters in 1:24.2, Camouflage Money and Bronx Seelster were on even turns slugging it out. Through the stretch, Bronx Seelster dug down deep and drew off from his foes, winning by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:52.1.
Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, the talented stallion has made $928,855.
Horsepeople racing over the new surface at MGM Northfield Park gave it rave reviews following the first two nights of racing over it.
"I couldn't be happier with how smoothly the project went. We look forward to the future with a safer, more weather resistant racing surface to not only race, but train daily over," said Northfield Park's OHHA representative Amy Hollar.
Live harness racing resumes on Monday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.
(Northfield Park)