News & Barn notes

McBurney Duo Breaks From Outside in Eleven North

August 26, 2017

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            Trainer Pat McBurney will send Liz’s Cable Girl and Golden Earrings to the gate to take on some of the best New Jersey bred filly and mare sprinters in Sunday’s $60,000 Eleven North Handicap going six furlongs.

            Owned by J. Cocce, L. Dodd, P. Donnelly, and I. Melee, Liz’s Cable Girl comes off a five-length win against allowance optional claiming foes in her signature gate to wire fashion. Nik Juarez was aboard for the win and will get the assignment once more on Sunday.

The 3-year-old daughter of Cable Boy out of the Belong to Me mare Forbidden Isle is a perfect 3-for-3 over the Monmouth Park main track and has won four of the first five starts of her career. Her lone loss came at Aqueduct in January, finishing third behind stakes placed Tiz Rae Anna. The Eleven North will be her first try in stakes company.

The other part of the entry, Golden Earrings, returns to the main track and cuts back after finishing seventh in an open allowance event going two turns on the Monmouth turf.

Prior to that start, the 5-year-old daughter of Posse out of the Gold Token mare Amanda’s Antik had hit the board in each of her previous three starts on the Monmouth main track, winning one around two turns. Her last start sprinting came on June 17 where she finished second behind runaway winner Cee Bee Gee Bee.

            Owned by L. Fleming, P. Donnelly and G. Drimones, Golding Earrings has worked twice in preparation for the Eleven North. Her latest came on Aug. 20 when she went three furlongs in :36, third fastest of the 20 that went the distance on the day. Jose Delgadillo will get the call for the first time aboard the mare.

            “They both have been doing terrific,” said McBurney. “With Liz, I’ll leave it in Nik’s (Juarez) hands. She’s been so quick that we haven’t needed to take her back, but I don’t think it would be too much of a problem for her to sit just off. For Golden Earring, she’ll probably sit off the early speed and look to make one run.”

            For either one of the McBurney pair to grab their first stakes victory, they will have to get by three stakes winners in the field including last year’s Eleven North champion Bustin Out for Chuck Spina.

            The Eleven North will run as race 9 on Sunday’s 12-race card as part of three stakes races or the New Jersey Thoroughbred Festival featuring an cooler bag giveaway. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. with first post at 12:50 p.m.