Dayton: Burke with a trio of chances to score in Friday stakes

The sport’s leading trainer Ron Burke doesn’t just enter horses in stakes races each week. He expects to win. Burke’s reign at the top of the list impresses not just with the number of horses under his care, but the bona fide consistency and success at the highest levels. So when the Grand Circuit rolls into Hollywood Dayton this Friday night it is no surprise to see Burke with three significant entries and a chance to sweep both Dayton Trotting Derby and Dayton Pacing Derby on the 14-race program.

Mission Accepted is the 2-1 early choice having drawn the pole position among nine in the $171,250 Dayton Trotting Derby carded as race nine. “He’s just been a very good horse,” said Burke. “He was good at 2 and 3 and he’s been good all year.” Mission Accepted has been a little under the radar in the Burke barn this year with the shadow of stable star Atlanta at issue, but the 4-year-old by Manofmanymissions has been far from a second fiddle. “I think he was really good two starts back at Scioto when he left hard and then was getting to Atlanta late in the mile,” said Burke of the third-place finish in the Hill Memorial on September 7.

Yannick Gingras returns to the bike behind Mission Accepted in search of a significant stakes victory.

The $1.7 million winning mare Manchego is rated the second choice in the field after drawing post six. Manchego ships to Dayton off an impressive victory at Scioto against Open company on September 7. Dexter Dunn, who drove her to this year’s 1:50 effort on Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands, reutrns to the bike for trainer Nancy Johansson.

Speeding Spur N came to the States with a glowing reputation. The 8-year-old drove past Mission Accepted on the wire in the $148,000 Crawford Farms at Tioga Downs on August 11 but since has seen his form go south. Brian Sears hopes to put Speeding Spur N in striking position from post four.

Burke has two contenders in the $151,750 Dayton Pacing Derby with This Is The Plan (post 5) leading the way and Filibuster Hanover (post 3) not very far behind. The Pacing Derby is race 11 and Burke couldn’t be more pleased with how his horses are entering the race.

“This Is The Plan is just a solid horse,” said Burke. “A few weeks back I talked to Yannick (Gingras) and we just agreed that you couldn’t keep sending him out there hard every week.” The change in strategy worked perfectly when This Is The Plan captured last Friday’s Hoosier Pacing Derby at Hoosier Park. That effort doesn’t mean that This Is The Plan will automatically become an off-the-pace horse given his post and stablemate’s presence on Friday night.

Filibuster Hanover has only won one time in 15 tries this year and that fact hasn’t dampened his trainer’s confidence. “He just got into a lot of situations where he was stuffed behind Lather Up who would slow down on the turns and then speed up in the straights,” said Burke. Filibuster Hanover has been getting closer and closer to a major victory, falling just three-quarters of a length behind This Is The Plan while finishing third in last week’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby.

Named for favoritism in the Dayton Pacing Derby is defending Horse of the Year McWicked, who landed the pole position. Trainer Casie Coleman’s charge returns to Ohio where on September 7 he miraculously grabbed a victory in the Ewart Memorial after seeming to be stalled on the final turn. A winner in excess of $4.6 million during his brilliant career, McWicked looks to bounce back from a sixth-place finish last week for Brian Sears.

Canadian Pacing Derby upset winner Courtly Choice finally gets a reasonable draw having landed post two. Brett Miller will guide last year’s Little Brown Jug champion. Courtly Choice had a near impossible trip in the Quillen at Harrington on September 16 and should have a significant chance of getting involved in the action on Friday.

The Dayton Pacing Derby field is extremely deep with Levy Memorial champion Western Fame (post 4) back in the picture. When last seen at this level, Western Fame put in a monstrous effort in the Ewart pressing the pace from the quarter pole intensely and forcing incredible fractions. The son of Western Ideal was beaten just a nose for that effort for trainer-driver Dan Noble. Western Fame tuned up for the Derby with a 1:48 1/5 powerhouse performance over the Dayton surface last Saturday.

Post time is 6:15 PM for the Dayton Friday card.