Pat McBurney | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pat McBurney Earns 2023 Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Award

Long-time trainer Pat McBurney, a fixture at Monmouth Park for more than four decades and the current president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award.

The Raines Award, currently in its 28th year, is presented annually just prior to Monmouth Park's season opener. The track's 78th season of live racing gets underway on Saturday, May 13.

“It's a tremendous honor to receive this award because of what it means to thoroughbred racing in New Jersey,” said McBurney. “It's an impressive list of past recipients so it's a great honor to join them.”

McBurney, who spent the first half of his career as an assistant to the late John Forbes (the 2006 Raines Award winner), went out on his own full-time as a trainer in 2007. He saddled his first winner on May 13, 2007 when Cable Boy won at Monmouth Park.

“Pat's tireless efforts on behalf of New Jersey horsemen and racing in general in the state, and his success as a trainer, make him a worthy recipient of this year's Buddy Raines Award,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, the operators of Monmouth Park. “It's a fitting honor for someone who has done so much to promote thoroughbred racing in New Jersey.”

McBurney has won 333 races overall, with the versatile Golden Brown and Just Call Kenny– both Grade III winners–being his top runners.

McBurney, who resides in Fair Haven, New Jersey, will have nearly three dozen horses stabled at Monmouth Park this summer in anticipation of the 51-day meet.

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Bramble Queen, Mohs, Readthecliffnotes Capture Hawthorne’s Weekend Stakes

Stakes action was back on the Hawthorne turf course on Saturday as the return of the Illini Princess and Hawthorne Derby were run over the firm course. The Illini Princess was for Illinois-bred females at 1 1/16 miles while the Hawthorne Derby went at 1 1/8 miles. A wet Sunday washed The Pizza Man Stakes to the sloppy main track.

In the $60,000 added Illini Princess, 2019 race champ Bramble Queen made her return for trainer Mike Dini and was sent away as the 8-5 favorite. Leaving the gate quickly was talented three-year-old filly Katie M'Lady as jockey Julio Felix was able to clear the lead from the outside and carve out the early fractions. Chased by Cat Attack and Northern Alliance through quick fractions of :23.51 and :47.41, Katie M' Lady led the field into the final turn as favorite Bramble Queen and jockey Jareth Loveberry began to pick off horses. At the top of the stretch, Katie M'Lady held a three-length advantage while Bramble Queen had move into second. In the stretch, Katie M'Lady battled but Bramble Queen was too good, running by late to win by a length in 1:42.70. Katie M'Lady was a clear second while 21-1 longshot Embarrassing rallied to finish third.

Owned by Ballybrit Stable, LLC, Bramble Queen returned $5.40, $3.40 and $2.80. Katie M'Lady came back $5.00 and $4.20. Embarrassing returned $10.80 to show.

Following the race, jockey Jareth Loveberry was asked about his trip aboard Bramble Queen: “The race set up really well for her. I got to know her when I rode her a couple of times at Arlington Park. The filly, Katie M'Lady got away to a comfortable lead. I just tried to have as much horse left at the end and she did. The course seemed to be playing even, maybe even a little 'Good,' but I just tried to ride the horse, not the course. This was a good field, the 3-year-olds are getting better and better. This mare had a bunch of heart and just dug it out.”

Two races later, on the Saturday card, the 52nd running of the $100,000 Hawthorne Derby, presented by BetMakers, returned to the Hawthorne turf. With the scratch of morning-line favorite Last Samurai, the field of six saw Royal Prince, from the barn of Brad Cox, sent away as the 2-1 favorite. After the break in the 1 1/8 miles event, there was very little early pace as Temper Tantrum and Royal Prince guided the compact field through an opening quarter in :24.80 and a half in :50.32. With only three lengths separating the field from front to back on the run into the final turn, Modus Operandi and Grey Streak joined the due to challenge through three quarters in 1:14.41. Biding his time in the turn was Mohs and jockey Jareth Loveberry as the field turned for home. In the lane, Temper Tantrum grabbed a brief lead as Mohs split horses and raced into contention while Grey Streak battled on. At the wire, Mohs emerged three-quarters of a length ahead of Grey Streak for the victory while Temper Tantrum held third. Mohs covered the 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf course in 1:50.32.

Owned by ABL Stable, Dominic Bossone, Petter Donnelly and William Oberdorff and trained by Patrick McBurney, Mohs paid $6.20, $4.60 and $3.20. Grey Streak returned $5.40 and $3.40 while Temper Tantrum paid $3.60 to show.

With his second stakes win on the day, jockey Jareth Loveberry commented on Mohs victory: “I thought that there would be a lot more pace but nobody went. My horse settled nicely and we found a good trip and were fortunate to find a hold. I knew we needed to start picking things up because they were going so slow in front so I kind of just judged the horses in front of me and when they started picking things up, so did we. I was hoping we were going to find a hole and fortunately we did.”

On Sunday afternoon the rains began to fall at Hawthorne, washing The Pizza Man stakes off the grass to be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the sloppy Hawthorne main track. The original field of 11 scratched down to six as Hawthorne dirt specialist Readthecliffnotes was sent away as the 7-5 favorite for trainer Michele Boyce. Getting away well in the sloppy going for jockey Edgar Perez, Readthecliffnotes made the lead through an opening quarter in :24.91 as longshot Iwillpersevere chased in second. Down the backstretch, Richiesgotgame ranged up to challenge through a half in :49.88. After three quarters in 1:14.09, it appeared Richiesgotgame was going to give jockey Jareth Loveberry a weekend stakes sweep as he put a head in front. In the lane, Readthecliffnotes dug in gamely and fought back, drawing clear by three-quarters of a length at the wire. Richiesgotgame was a clear second while Iwillpersevere held third. The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on the dirt was 1:45.23.

Readthecliffnotes returned $4.80, $3.00 and $2.20 for owners Cherrywood Racing Stables, II, Terry Biondo and Laura Donohoe. Richiesgotgame returned $3.20 and $2.80 while Iwillpersevere paid $5.40 to show.

Hawthorne Race Course, Chicago's Hometown Track, races three meets in 2021. The spring thoroughbred meet concluded on April 25. The summer Suburban Downs at Hawthorne harness meet began Friday, May 7 and concluded on September 26. The fall thoroughbred meet opened October 8 and races through December 27. First post daily in October and November is 3:10 PM. In December, first post moves to 12:55 PM. For any information about Hawthorne Race Course visit the website www.HawthorneRaceCourse.com.

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Golden Brown Scores In Joey P. At Monmouth

Golden Brown isn't just enjoying his golden years, he's excelling in them.

The 6-year-old gelding notched his sixth state-bred stakes victory and the 10th overall win of his career by surging to a one-length victory over Like What I See in Sunday's $85,000 Joey P. Handicap at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

The victory was one of six winners on the 12-race card for jockey Paco Lopez.

Though he had never raced at the five-furlong distance in his previous 30 career starts, while also being absent from the turf since Nov. 9, 2019, Golden Brown overcame both variables to outclass eight other Jersey-breds, clocking home in :56.55 over a firm turf course.

“Year after year, he just shows up here,” said winning trainer Pat McBurney. “He's getting up there in age but :56.2 today was really impressive, I thought. He seems to be as good as he has ever been.”

A Grade 3 winner in 2018 (the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.), the son of Offlee Wild boosted his career earnings to $744,620 with his latest victory. It was also his second state-bred stakes victory of the meet.

“I was worried about him being back on the turf and trying this short but he is a very good sprinter,” said Lopez. “He is one of those horses who can do anything. I wanted to make sure he was in a good position so maybe I rode him a little more aggressively early because of this race being short.

“Every time you ask him he gives you something. I love this horse. Long, short, dirt, turf … he can handle anything.”

Lopez has an insurmountable lead as he closes in on his eighth riding title at Monmouth Park entering the final weekend of racing starting Friday. His 100 winners are almost double the total of runner-up Isaac Castillo (53).

For Golden Brown, meanwhile, it marked the first time in his lengthy career that he has tried something shorter than 5½ furlongs. His racing debut in 2017 was at 4½ furlongs. He has won short, long, in the slop, on the dirt, and on the turf.

“I would have preferred 5½ furlongs over five but he has been sprinting so well this year we needed to take a shot,” said McBurney. “I literally said to the owners as the horses were going into the gate that I did not realize it had been so long that he has been on the turf. The one long turf race he would normally run in (the Dan Horn) was canceled this year so we didn't have that to run in and just with him having been a little sick and playing catch up with him I decided to keep him short and in Jersey-bred company. We can't pass that up.”

Owned by ABL Stable, Dominic Bossone, Peter Donnelly, and Natalie Schnoor, Golden Brown was mid-pack in the early stages as I Like What I See blazed early fractions of :22 flat for the opening quarter and :44.96 for the half. Lopez angled Golden Brown outside coming out of the final turn, going three-wide, and he was able to wear down I Like What I See late. It was another four lengths back to the McBurney-trained Lucky Jaime in third.

Golden Brown paid $4.80 to win.

The final weekend of racing for the 55-day Monmouth Park week starts with a nine-race card on Friday. First race post time Friday, Saturday, and closing day on Sunday is 12:15.

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Golden Brown Again Finds Winner’s Circle At Monmouth Park

Put Golden Brown in the familiar surroundings of Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and then against Jersey-breds, and good things tend to happen for gritty 6-year-old gelding.

They did again on Sunday, when Golden Brown showed good early speed to work his way into contention and then flashed his strong closing kick as he added to his impressive career credentials with a 2¾-length victory in the $75,000 John J. Reilly Handicap for state-breds.

Though trainer Pat McBurney remains unconvinced that six furlongs is the best distance for the son of Offlee Wild, it was hard to make that case after he covered the six furlongs in 1:09.

Jockey Paco Lopez hustled Golden Brown out to a stalking third-place position early behind speedster Optic Way and Prendimi and moved to pass Prendimi midway through the backstretch. Through a :44.72 first half, Golden Brown then set his sights on Optic Way, collaring the frontrunner in mid-turn and then pulling away as he came out of the turn into the stretch. Optic Way held on for second, 1½ lengths ahead of Prendimi.

“He was very good today,” said Lopez. “He broke well this time. But he always runs good, always has heart. (His) last race in Delaware he wasn't comfortable with the track. But we know he likes Monmouth Park. I had a feeling he would be good today.

“I was able to break third and keep the other two close and when I asked him he gave me everything he had. As he gets older I think he can handle the shorter distances. I just had to get him in position after he broke so well. He knows what to do.”

McBurney missed the race because he was saddling Sweet Sami D in the Caesar's Wish Stakes at Pimlico (she finished third), and what he missed was this: Golden Brown's fifth stakes win at Monmouth Park. In 16 career starts at Monmouth, Golden Brown has six wins, five seconds, and a third.

Overall, he sports a record of 9-6-4 from 29 starts in a career that has seen him win going long, short, in the slop, on the grass, and on fast tracks. He has a 3-1-1 record in five career sprints as well.

“I did not get to see the race. I was putting a saddle on Sweet Sami D at Pimlico and I looked in my phone and I was getting congratulations so that's how I knew he won,” said McBurney. “I tried to catch the replay and it never came up and then the race down here ran.

“I was surprised he was as close as everyone said he was. When I looked at the speed figures, it looked like we would be in fifth early and have a wide trip, so it's great that he broke so alertly. That's two bang-up sprints he has run this year and I'm still not sure six furlongs is what he likes best.”

Golden Brown, who boosted his career earnings to $673,620, paid $6 to win in the field of seven that was reduced by two scratches.

Owned by ABL, Bossone, Donnelly, and Schnorr, Golden Brown will go next in the Irish War Cry on July 24 on the turf at Monmouth Park, McBurney said. That race is also against state-breds – and one Golden Brown won a year ago.

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