Harness Racing: Darena Hanover's Jugette win tops big day for Ron Burke in Delaware

Jugs and buckets are hardly desirable items unless you pick up the hardware at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio. Trainer Ron Burke walked home with plenty of hardware as Darena Hanover scored in the $177,630 Jugette Final and Bluff set a world record in her $51,000 split of the Buckette.

The format for the 2012 Jugette was revamped and that played a major role in the outcome. No longer would two victories or a third heat be required to take home the trophy. A win in the second and final heat meant victory, which meant the importance of winning the first heat was somewhat dulled.

First heat winners Bettor B Lucky and Shelliscape won the right to pick for inside posts for the second and final heat with 1:51 4/5 and 1:50 3/5 wins respectively. The inside is gold at Delaware but no one told Darena Hanover.

In the final, Burke trainee Bettor B Lucky was hustled to the front by driver Jim Morrill Jr ahead of Shelliscape and Darena Hanover. At that point Yannick Gingras made a decisive quarter move with the other Burke trainee, Darena Hanover. It turned out to be the winning move.

“I was thinking that was my entrymate and I hope he doesn’t park me,” chuckled Gingras about his tactics before getting serious. “Bettor B Lucky took all kinds of heat (battling for the lead) in the first heat and I didn’t think she could handle that again.”

The pair coasted through fractions of :26 4/5, :55 and 1:22 3/5 without more than token pressure from the rest of the finalists.

In the stretch, a host of pursuers loomed but none were able to get there ahead of Darena Hanover, who won the prestigious race for 3-year-old pacing fillies by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.

Gingras admitted that his tactics in the first heat, where he elected to save ground after an aborted leave attempt, were a result of the new rules.

“With the new format of the Jugette you don’t have to win both heats, so it is not like you have to win at all costs,” said Gingras. “I didn’t think I could win first-up in the first heat and I didn’t think I could do it in the second heat as well. That is why I sat in the first heat. If I got lucky and shook loose, I thought I could be second or third and have a shot in the final. It all worked out”

Although Darena Hanover finished strong in her first heat, she was sent off at nearly 6-1 to complete an all Ron Burke-trained exacta of $45.00 with Bettor B Lucky.

“It’s awesome,” said Burke about finishing one-two in the final. “We have done it in other races. We were one-two-three in the Adios, we have been first and second in the Breeders Crown, but people don’t realize how hard it is just to get them in the final and then to finish first and second.”

Burke was quick to credit Gingras and Morrill for giving his horses perfect steers in both heats.

“There is nobody better right now,” said Burke about Yannick’s drive. “It has been a great year for Yannick. I think it has been a progression where every year he is getting better.”

Burke is having a great year of his own. His 655 wins is more than double his next closest competitor on the national leaderboard and his $13,917,457 earnings total is also double Jimmy Takter, who is in the second slot for trainers in 2012.

Earlier on the card, Burke sent out Bluff to a wire-to-wire world record win in the Buckette for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Tim Tetrick guided the speedy lass through fractions of :28 4/5, :57 2/5 and 1:25 1/5 before stopping the clock at 1:54.

“She a wonderfully talented horse,” said Burke. “If we could ever straighten her out there is nothing she is not capable of. She just doesn’t yet realize that she wants to work.”

Canadian Justice won the other Buckette division in 1:57 3/5.

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