Gingras, Burke sweep $100,000 Hambletonian elims

Shortly after sweeping both $100,000 Hambletonian eliminations at The Meadowlands Saturday (July 29) night, harness racing driver Yannick Gingras left no doubt as to which winner he was picking to drive in next week’s final of the world’s biggest harness racing event.

Gingras just finished steering Celebrity Bambino (Muscle Hill) to a 1:50.4 open-length, lifetime-best score in elimination two after winning the first elimination with Point Of Perfect (Walner) in 1:51.2 (also a lifetime best) about 90 minutes earlier. He did not hesitate when his choice of Ron Burke trainees for the final came up, though.

“I don’t have to wait for Tuesday,” he said referring to the final post draw. “It’s Bambino”

Celebrity Bambino was sent on a speed mission, and after touching down on the lead passing the opening quarter in :27.4, he was never headed. The half was passed in :55.3 with French Wine (Andy Miller) sitting in the pocket, Up Your Deo (Ake Svandstedt) racing third, and Winners Bet (Dexter Dunn) parked in fourth after leaving from post 10. At this point, it was obvious that he was destined to be out the route.

Winners Bet made it up to second as the three quarters was passed in 1:23.3 but at that point, Celebrity Bambino was starting to put some distance between himself and his nine rivals. He turned for home with a three-length lead and powered to the wire in 27.1 for the 1:50.4 score, 1 3/4 lengths to the good.

CELEBRITY BAMBINO REPLAY

French Wine held second with Tactical Approach (Scott Zeron) rallying around Winners Bet to get third. Up Your Deo barely held onto the fifth and last qualifying spot. 9 to 5 favorite Air Power (Orjan Kihlstrom) was never in contention, broke at the top of the stretch and finished last.

Celebrity Bambino was winning for the second time in six starts this year for Burke Racing Stable of Pennsylvania, F and T Silva of New York and Knox Services of Ohio. He has now earned more than $411,000.

Gingras and peaking sophomore trotting colt Point Of Perfect parlayed two early moves into the lifetime-best score in the first elimination.

Point Of Perfect was sent straight to the front around early breaker Kierkgaard K (Ake Svandstedt). But soon after he clipped off the opening quarter in 27.1, he was overtaken by Little Expensive (Andy Miller), with 4 to 5 favorite Oh Well racing third.

Gingras was not content with the pocket, and he re-moved Point Of Perfect to the front on the way to the half which was trotted in a snappy 54.4. Oh Well moved first up to challenge as they approached the tree quarters, with Southwind Coors riding his cover and Little Expensive wallowing in the pocket.

After passing three quarters in 1:23.0, Point Of Perfect and Oh Well sprinted for home and their positions never changes, the former holding off the latter by half a length with a fast-closing Osceola (Doug McNair) getting up for third between horses, finishing only three quarters of a length behind the winner. Ghostly Casper also produced a big late kick to finish a close fourth and Southwind Coors took the fifth and last spot in the final. Point Of Perfect’s 1:51.2 clocking beat his previous lifetime-best by a full second.

POINT OF PERFECT REPLAY

Gingras explained why he made a second move in the opening half. “I didn’t want to be in the three hole, so I removed thinking that Timmy was going to be coming,” he said. “When he didn’t, I really wasn’t too pleased with my move, I kind of wanted mine back in the two hole. My horse is definitely better following, but tonight he showed some guts. Oh Well is a great horse and he fended him off.”

Point Of Perfect was winning for the third time in four starts after starting his career 0 for 18. The $50,000 winner’s share of the purse boosted the $205,000 yearling’s lifetime earnings $217,148.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink