Harness: Burke Brigade out in force for Ohio, Indiana Sires Stakes finals
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Prior to the post position draw for Saturday night's Ohio Sires Stakes extravaganza at MGM Northfield Park, leading trainer Ron Burke was feeling good about the chances of many finalists from his lofty stable. Burke's demeanor changed some following Wednesday's draw that compromised some of his better horses.
"If you asked me going in, I thought we were in good shape," Burke said on Thursday (Oct. 10). "Now I think my best chances are with Rick Wink and Seaside Diva. The rest drew outside."
MGM Northfield Park will host four $300,000 divisions of the Scarlet & Gray Championships for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait and another quartet of $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes championships for sophomores.
Burke qualified three juvenile pacing colts for the fifth race final but put most of his hope in Rick Wink, a colt from the second crop of Bit Of A Legend N that enters Saturday's contest undefeated in eight starts. The reason for his optimism, aside from the colt's brilliant record-to-date, was landing post three. His other two colts, both by top sire Downbytheseaside, have impressed in Ohio and beyond this year, with Sippinonsearoc (post seven) a world champion owner of a 1:48 2/5 mark at The Red Mile in Kentucky Championship Series action and Swingtown (post eight) most recently fourth in the Metro.
"Rick Wink can do whatever is necessary," said Burke in praise of the colt that cost just $27,000 at last year's Oho Selected Jug Sale and to date has earnings approaching $240,000.
"I must give all credit on that purchase to Dr. J (Bridgette Jablonsky)," said Burke. "He's from the same family as McSeaside, and she told me to look at him at the sale."
Rick Wink has won from on-the-pace and off-the-pace this season, but opened the eyes of many with a stunning 1:50 2/5 effort in an Ohio Breeders Championship at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on September 19. The time was much faster than a pair of Sires Stakes victories over the Northfield surface he's quite familiar with already in his brief career.
Burke wasn't sure whether Rick Wink is the best of his three in the field but questioned just how the other two colts would react not just to the poor position draw but the half-miler as well.
"Sippinonsearoc likes the big track," Burke said when asked about the colt that has earned $285K this year with five wins in eight tries. A winner in his most recent start at Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway in 1:51 2/5 from post eight, Burke is hopeful that getting Yannick Gingras back in the bike could be advantageous.
"I would say Northfield is perhaps the fairest half-mile track there is," Burke said. "Some of the others they go hard the first quarter and then relax until the last quarter. At Northfield they race the entire mile and you can get parked and still win."
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Perhaps that’s exactly the trip that Swingtown could be in line for given the draw.
"He's a little bit headstrong," said Burke of the colt that captured a Sires Stakes leg at Northfield in July and was unbeaten in five starts in the Buckeye State before two defeats north of the Border.
Burke's confidence in Seaside Diva (post five, race nine) in the $300,000 final for sophomore fillies has a lot to do with her 10 victories this year in 14 starts. The homebred daughter of Downbytheseaside has been a model of consistency and been rock solid when landing good post positions. The filly has won three of her last six starts, with her only losses coming after drawing post eight in the other events.
Seaside Diva was upset by Daisy's Star (post two) in last year's Ohio Sires Stakes Championship final and hopes to avenge that defeat on Saturday. The two have gone in different directions as sophomores, with Daisy's Star a winner just once this year in 17 trips to post.
If there's a sleeper from Burke's endless list of finalists on Saturday at Northfield, he thought Prince Charmer (post one) in the $300,000 final for sophomore male trotters (race 10) had the best chance.
"He's been improving in his last few starts, and he drew inside Spaaaanzano," said Burke of the altered son of Long Tom. Burke's Tennessee Tom (post six) drew into the race as well, but as a closer with an outside draw could have a tough time getting into the action.
On Friday night (October 11) Burke has a few entered at Harrah's Hoosier Park on their Hoosier Champions Night for Indiana- sired horses.
"I think Starlitfranknstein is my best shot," said Burke of the freshman trotting colt entered in the $250,000 final carded as race six. "He's gotten his act together. I didn't get down there, but they told me he was vicious training this week."
Starlitfranknstein is a colt by Swan For All with three victories this year in eight tries, including a 1:55 mile on October 1 in the final preliminary leg of the series.
The Friday card at Harrah's Hoosier Park has 12 championship races worth over $2.2 million and kicks off at 6:15 P.M. (EDT), while the Northfield Saturday program starts at 6:00 P.M. (EDT). Both tracks are offering guaranteed wagers, with Hoosier posting guarantees of $7,500 (Pick 5/race one), $20,000 (Pick 4/race 12) and $15,000 (Hi-5/race 15), and Northfield offering three $10,000 promised pools (Pick 4 in races two and 11 & Hi-5 in race 13) and one $20,000 guaranteed Pick 4 in race eight.