True North Cleveland choice

A pair of colts trained by the nation’s leading trainer, Mickey Burke, have earned morning line favoritism in Saturday’s $178,000 Rolling Rock Cleveland Classic at Northfield Park. The 17th annual Cleveland Classic is the richest race of the season at Northfield Park.

True North Hanover, owned by George Leon of Pittsburgh, drew the rail and has been assigned a 5-2 morning line by director of racing Gregg Keidel. Dave Palone, the leading driver at The Meadows, is listed to drive. Sandro Hanover, who Leon co-owns with Dean Davis of Wooster, has been pegged at 3-1, as the Ohio State Racing Commission has granted permission to uncouple the Mickey Burke-trained, Leon-owned duo.

Both colts won $50,000 eliminations of the Adios at The Meadows last week, but faltered in the $300,000 final, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. Brett Miller has been listed to drive Sandro Hanover, but has also been named on Ken Sommer’s Actionuke, third-choice Dave Panlone, and 2005 New York Sire Stakes champWinbak Dimensions. His decision will weigh heavily on the outcome.

The 14-race Rolling Rock Cleveland Classic card, which also features Ohio Sire Stakes action for 2-year-old colts and geldings, kicks off at 7 p.m. (ET), with the Rolling Rock Cleveland Classic set for about 11:05 p.m.

Here is the complete field for the Classic:

PP# Horse Driver M-L
1 True North Hanover Dave Palone 5-2
2 Actionuke Brett Miller 12-1
3 Ab’s Beach Boy Dan Noble 15-1
4 Dave Panlone Brett Miller 7-2
5 Sandro Hanover Brett Miller 3-1
6 Touchtown Greg Grismore6-1
7 Winbak Dimensions Brett Miller 8-1
8 Ivegotwhatuneed Aaron Merriman 10-1
9 Sand Gogh Tony Hall 4-1
10 Livestrong Jim Morrill Jr. 9-2

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