Perlucky wins 5th straight

WASHINGTON, PA, Jan. 6, 2020 — A new harness racing season began Monday at The Meadows, but it looked like the same old Perlucky, as he rolled to his fifth straight victory in the $18,000 Open 1 Handicap Trot.

Dave Palone sent Perlucky to the point from post 6, and the 5-year-old Lucky Chucky-Paper Girl gelding had nary an anxious moment, defeating the pocket-sitting Cherry Peep by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:55.1. Rising MVP rallied for show.

Ron Burke trains Perlucky, who now boasts $359,909 in career earnings, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Phillip Collura.

Mike Wilder and Palone each collected three wins on the 13-race card.

During the program, The Meadows and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association (MSOA) honored Aaron Merriman for achieving his third consecutive 1,000-win season, a harness racing first. Merriman notched win 1,000 at Northfield Park on the final card of 2019.

Live racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday when the card features a trio of rich wagering opportunities: a $5,000 total-pool guarantee in the Pick 4 (races 3-6); a $1,370.51 carryover in the Pick 5 (races 2-6); a $1,129.69 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5. First post is 1:05 PM.

By Evan Pattak, for The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association