Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Wynnfield Flash & Literate Hanover take Oil Burners

December 9, 2007

Wynnfield Flash worked hard to seize the lead in mid-stretch and fought gamely to the wire to win the second of two $23,000 Oil Burner Series divisions for 3-year-old colt pacers on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Driver Tim Tetrick sat Wynnfield Flash off dueling leaders Noble's Grand Slam and Cam Van Bussel who took the field to the half in 54.2 seconds. Tetrick swung his charge three-wide as Cam Van Bussel tired in front of him and finally pressured Noble's Grand Slam into submission with a sixteenth to go. Wynnfield Flash responded gamely under urging and held off Line Of Fire by a length in a career best 1:51.1. He paid $4.00.

Unraced at two, Wynnfield Flash has now won 13 of 21 starts and $92,100. Josh Green trains the Virginia-bred son of Spirited Style for Larry Baron of Horsham, PA.

In the first Oil Burner division, Dragon Master was disqualified and placed second for interfering with runner-up Literate Hanover in the stretch. Literate Hanover inherited the victory and paid $7.20 to win the seventh race. Captain Cambest was a length behind in third.

Literate Hanover, from the Mickey Burke Stable, improved his record to 10 wins in 31 starts this season.

"We were fortunate to place [into the win]," said Ronnie Burke, who handles the stable's New Jersey string. "He had pace finishing. Sometimes you get a break and sometimes you don't, we'll take it any way we can get it. He hung a bit last week, but he was off the week before. [Last week] was his first time on a big track in a while. He's not a real mile-track kind of horse. He's more suited to a small track but he has the talent to overcome it."

The Oil Burner concludes with an estimated $50,000 final next Saturday.