Winning a breeze for Cooke

Thomas B Cooke–professor, taxation expert and lawyer–also happens to be the owner and breeder of one of the best pacers currently in training as his homebred, Nuclear Breeze, is rated the 3-2 morning line favorite in Saturday night’s $50,000 opening round of the three-week Presidential Series for free-for-all pacers at the Meadowlands.

Nuclear Breeze carries a seven-race winning streak which began on Nov. 7 at Maryland’s Rosecroft Raceway, his first start back from an injury triggered by his other career–stud duty.

“Nuclear Breeze can only breed to my own mares as long as he is racing,” explained Cooke, who is a Distinguished Teaching Professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business where he specializes in business law, ethics and federal income taxation. “He was one-for-one last year in breeding but got injured in the process. While the injury was not serious, giving him seven months off has returned dividends. I never questioned my trainer's decision to give him extra rest. There never was a plan to get him ready for the Big M in the fall. My thinking was that if he comes back OK, he can race at Rosecroft until the end of the year.

“Well, as they say, the rest is history,” mused Cooke, who owns 28 Standardbreds. “His first race back at Rosecroft was so strong, 1:51.3--he had not raced since April 22--that we decided to race him the very next Sunday at Chester. After winning the top class at Chester I knew we could not go back to Rosecroft. We decided to drive up the NJ Turnpike (to the Meadowlands)--we haven't looked back.

“I love racing at the Meadowlands,” said Cooke, a member of the Georgetown faculty since 1976. “Being a native of New Jersey, there is something very special about competing at the best harness track in the United States. The opportunity to race against some of the best horses there has been the thrill of a lifetime.

“I have been a Hop Sing fan for some time,” he said, referring to another of the Presidential entrants. “(Trainer) Ettore Annunziata's December 2005 claim was one of the best claims in a long time. In my dreams, Nuclear Breeze follows in Hop Sing's footsteps.”

Actually, the last few months, Hop Sing has been chasing Nuclear Breeze--without success.

Cooke graduated Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey in 1967, earning his BA at Villanova in 1971 and a trio of degrees at Georgetown: Juris Doctor (1974), Master of Laws (1976) and Master of Laws in Taxation (1985).

He lives in Rockville, Md., now but his roots are in the Garden State.

“I was born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey,” he explained. “My father, Thomas J. Cooke, was production director for Conde Nast Publications in New York City. My mom, Irene, was a home engineer--and very good at it. I have a sister and two brothers living in New Jersey. I have wonderful memories of taking my mom to see my horses race on the New Jersey Fair Circuit and at Freehold and Garden State Park. Mom owned homes in Teaneck and Avon By The Sea--she knew all about Freehold and the Meadowlands. I know she would be so happy with the results from December 2006. Nothing was planned nor expected-it just happened and happened and happened!”

With decisive victories in all four of his December starts at the Meadowlands, Nuclear Breeze was named the United States Trotting Association’s Horse of the Month.

“Being named by the USTA as the December 2006 Horse of the Month has special meaning to me and the Hans family,” said Cooke, referring to his trainer, Roger Hans. “The Hans family has been in the Standardbred business long before we formed a relationship. They do the all the hard day-to-day work. The December award should be shared by Nuclear Breeze and the Hans family. The excitement at Rosecroft Raceway has been unbelievable. They make a special announcement when Nuclear Breeze is racing at the Meadowlands.”

The last five wins by the son of Nuclear High-Radiant Breeze have come at the Meadowlands, including his lifetime mark of 1:49. He completed 2006 with 11 wins and two thirds from 16 starts, adding $142,890 for a bankroll of $242,132. Now five, he has 23 wins, four seconds and five thirds from 40 career starts.

“My long-term plans for Nuclear Breeze are to compete against the best in 2007 and breed him to a handful of my mares on the farm in Westminster, Maryland and see what happens next,” Cooke added.

The field for the $50,000 opening leg of the three-week Presidential Series (from the rail out): Escapable Beaux, David Miller, 8-1; All Over The Place, Ron Pierce, 4-1; Our First Falcon, Ron Cushing, 15-1; Nuclear Breeze, Brian Sears, 3-2; Spirit Of A Shark, Cat Manzi, 12-1; Pacific Renegade, David Miller; Roddy’s Bags Again, Mike Lachance; Load The Dice, Yannick Gingras, 5-1 and Hop Sing, Yannick Gingras, 10-1. (Meadowlands)

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