Sweet Lou sweeps colts late in second ‘Crown’ elim for frosh pacers

By Frank and Ray Cotolo

TORONTO, Ont. – Sweet Lou (Yankee Cruiser) glided to a victory in the nightcap of the Breeders Crown eliminations at Woodbine on Friday, Oct. 21. It was the second of two elims for frosh-colt pacers.

Sweet Lou set a lifetime mark of 1:50 winning the race with a sweeping late move for driver Dave Palone and trainer Ron Burke. Sing For Me George (Bettor’s Delight) finished second, I Fought Dalaw (Western Ideal) was third, Escape The News (Artiscape) was fourth and Lawgiver Hanover (Art Major) was fifth, completing the second five earning berths in the Oct. 29 final.

I Fought Dalaw and Shakerattlenrock (Rocknroll Hanover) left the gate fast, with Escape The News in third and Sing For Me George in fourth. “Dalaw” took the field by the quarter in :26.1. “Rock” was 3 lengths back in second, “Escape” was 9 lengths back in third and “George” was 10 lengths back in fourth.

Dalaw owned the lead as the field remained sprawled and blew by the half in :54.1 (:28).

Dalaw continued to dominate into the far turn, with George moving first over into second to launch a challenge and Escape buried at the pylons in third. Dalaw still had a firm lead at three-quarters in 1:22 (:27.4).

George and Sweet Lou were gaining on Dalaw at the top of the stretch. Escape was in fourth and Lawgiver Hanover was in fifth. But “Lou” answered Palone’s mild urging and flew by George and Dalaw to win.

Sing For Me George finished second, I Fought Dalaw finished third, Escape The News was fourth and Lawgiver Hanover was fifth.

Before going to Lexington, “Lou” was not known on the national scene, having raced primarily in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes. He won the $100,000-plus Elevation Stakes at Indiana Downs and in Kentucky he faired well against the top tier in the division.

Driver Dave Palone said, “I hooked up with him in the baby races early in the summer. Ron [Burke] loved him and the first time I sat behind him I thought he could be a special colt. In the sires stakes he was usually much the best so I put him on the lead. In the last couple of races he raced [from off the pace] and he has been even more affective. [Tonight] I just wanted to get him away quietly and not put him in a bad spot.”

Sweet Lou had to contend with a fiery first few panels. Palone said, “I was hoping it would go exactly the way it did. I would have liked to get away a little more alert but I didn’t want to make a mistake from the rail. I was happy that he just kept moving along; he was going into the last turn loaded and when I moved him I thought he was the best then.”

Sweet Lou is by Yankee Cruiser out of the mare Sweet Future by Falcons Future. He has earned more than $350,000 in his lifetime. Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Lawrence Karr and Phil Collura own him. He is bred by Bimam Wood Farms.