Burning Point wins by neck

Burning Point and Miss Galvinator A squared off at Yonkers Raceway Friday night in a $35,000 feature, and Burning Point, the 2006 Pacing Mare of the Year, walked away the winner. She scored by a slim neck over Miss Galvinator A in 1:54.3.

Burning Point, driven by Stephane Bouchard, was making her first purse try since late November. Any thought that she would be raced easy off the layoff was dispensed with quickly. Bouchard, taking full advantage of the assignment -- the returning Miss Galvinator A (Greg Grismore) was given post position number eight -- put the hammer down, leaving for command.

He two-moved Burning Point, securing the lead past the spiffy :27.4 opening quarter-mile. Up Front Dragonfly, handled by Tony Morgan, who steered four winners on Friday, also left and settled in second, while Miss Galvinator A was forced to take a seat fourth behind a longshot, Cannae Cindy (Jim Meittinis).

Burning Point provided the half-time entertainment in a flat :57 before Miss Galvinator A, the 11-10 people's choice, made her move, first-over. Game on. The classy lasses dropped the gauntlet through a :28.3 third quarter. Burning Point had a three-quarter length lead entering the lane, then dug-in for the win.

"I wasn't worried about her first start (of the season)," Bouchard said. "She had a good qualifier, and felt very good scoring down. She's a really solid mare, and she showed it."

Miss Galvinator A suffered just her second setback in her last 16 tries dating to last October. She had been a perfect six-for-six here during that stretch. (Frank Drucker for Yonkers Raceway)

« Back