Harness: Burke has an Ohio trotting filly with serious promise

There is no doubt that 2020 will be a different year for many sports. Now, as the calendar moves to June, Harness Racing and its participants find themselves in catch-up mode. Horses that should have been racing and gaining experience will suddenly be thrust into battle for major stakes money.

Trainer Ron Burke still has much of his stable in a holding pattern, but thanks to Ohio's opening last week, he finally had the chance to get the 3-year-old trotting filly A Fancy Face on the track Monday (May 25) at Eldorado Scioto Downs. "She had some road trouble and got backed up and that cost her the race," said Burke on Tuesday (May 26).

A Fancy Face is an interesting study. As a $37,000 yearling purchase, she made her pari-mutuel debut finishing second, but tipping her hand at what looks to be a bright stakes future in the Buckeye State.

"We liked her all along last year," said Burke. "She trained down with Sister Sledge and Crucial." While those two would go on to multiple stakes victories in 2019, A Fancy Face, a daughter of My MVP, was sidelined after winning her first baby race in June at The Meadows. "She had filling in her ankle," said Burke. "It was 50/50 whether to go on with her or not and we decided to give her time."

That decision had A Fancy Face ready for action in March, but after winning her qualifier in 2:00 on March 12 at The Meadows, there would be no pari-mutuel action for the filly until this past Monday. The non-winners-of-1 affair turned out to be a spectacular effort in defeat, as A Fancy Face and driver Chris Page were caught in the back through a very soft opening half mile, yet showed explosive speed the final quarter mile to miss by a head in a 1:55 3/5 mile. That she trotted a final half in 55-flat while racing wide appears to bode well for a future stakes star in Ohio.

"I think we'll give her one more overnight race," said Burke of A Fancy Face, with June 19 being the target date for Ohio Sire Stakes action.

"We've paid her up into some other races in Kentucky as well," said Burke.

A Fancy Face has an interesting bottom line to her pedigree. She is the first foal from the Muscle Massive-sired Alliomi, an un-raced mare from Allianna. Allianna is the last foal from the mare Aimees Promise, who happened to produce a pair of $1 million winners in Grain Of Truth and Celebrity Secret. This family has waited a long time for a filly to emerge, with Aimees Promise's six fillies to race earning a grand total of $7,785 and her two male foals banking $2.6 million collectively.

Burke has his stable poised for a return to racing in Pennsylvania, with both Crucial and Sister Sledge coming out of a 1:55 3/5 qualifier at Gaitway on May 31 where they finished one-two while preparing for their sophomore debuts.

The $1.9 million-winner Atlanta appears ready for what could be her best season ever. The 2018 Hambletonian champion is well on her way to a 5-year-old debut when the time comes.

"Yannick (Gingras) trained her the other day and he told me she’s never been better,” said Burke, a few days before Atlanta would sparkle with a 1:54 1/5 win at Gaitway by 10 lengths on May 31. Atlanta won eight of her 15 starts in 2019, her first year with Burke training.

Burke is based primarily in Pennsylvania and has many stakes horses gearing up for Sire Stakes and Grand Circuit action. "I think we’re maybe a week or so away from the state turning 'Green'," said Burke, referring to the color code that would allow pretty much all facilities to operate in modified and full form. For Burke and other horsemen that base operations in the Keystone State, the green light would also pave the way for some return to gaming action, a necessity in helping to keep purses at a solid level.