Eastie Boy wins Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Bally's Dover

Eastie Boy wins Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Bally’s Dover

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Dover’s Dominant Night: Burke’s Exacta Stakes Claim in Matron for Rookie Pacers

Eastie Boy, a two-year-old male pazer trained by Ron Burke, turned Thursday’s Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Bally’s Dover into a showcase of controlled power, securing a 1:50 1/5 victory and marking the second graded stakes win of his rookie campaign. The Daily Racing Form reported that the Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer colt, who is also a homebred for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Phil Collura, has now earned a staggering $647,932 from just 12 starts this season.

A Burke Blueprint for Success

The race unfolded with a script that Burke’s stable has perfected. Eastie Boy sat third early as stablemate Stonebridge Blitz, driven by Yannick Gingras, brushed clear of early pace-setter Hungry Marco (Tim Tetrick) to take control after a 27-second first quarter. Then, with just over a lap to go, driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. activated Eastie Boy. He cleared his stablemate with authority and traveled unopposed through middle splits of 55 4/5 and 1:23 4/5. The final turn saw Eastie Boy shift gears, throwing down a blistering 26 2/5 closing quarter to win by two lengths with plenty in reserve. Stonebridge Blitz held firm for second, 5 3/4 lengths ahead of BC’s Odds On, who rallied for third.

Eastie Boy wins Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Bally's Dover

This performance is significant not just for its speed, but for its strategic precision. The win solidifies Eastie Boy’s status as a top contender for the year’s end championships, following his earlier victories in the Grade 1 Metro Pace and a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminary. As the 1-2 favorite, he paid a mere $3 to win, reflecting the market’s unwavering confidence in his ability.

“When you have a horse that can sit and still finish that strong, you know you have something special,” said a veteran harness racing analyst, who noted the dominance of Burke’s string in two-year-old male pacing this year. “It’s a testament to the quality of the stock and the training.”

The impact of this victory extends beyond the winner’s circle. For the connections—Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Phil Collura, and the breeders—it validates a multi-million dollar investment. It also sends a clear message to the rest of the division: Eastie Boy is not just a participant; he is the standard by which others will be measured. His earnings now place him among the most lucrative two-year-old pacers in recent memory, a figure that shows the high-stakes nature of the sport's development circuit.

Other Winners at Bally’s Dover

Eastie Boy was far from the only star on a card that featured several prominent performers. In another key race for 2-year-old male pacers, Hawaiian Warfare ($2.40) continued his remarkable winning streak with a lifetime-best 1:53 2/5 victory in a first-round Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) Series preliminary. Trained by Erin Neilson for owner Forrest Bartlett, the U S Captain-Ukulele Blue Chip gelding made all the pace to notch his eighth consecutive win.

As the dust settles on Thursday’s action at Bally’s Dover, the racing world looks ahead to the next major event. Racing returns to the venue on Monday, Nov. 9, with a 15-race program headlined by a pair of $20,000 first-round DSBF preliminaries for 2-year-old trotting fillies. Harrington series champion Daringly has been installed as the 9-5 favorite in the second split. On the wagering front, a carryover of $1,307.17 in the 50-cent pentafecta for the final race adds another layer of excitement to the upcoming program.

Eastie Boy wins Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Bally's Dover

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