Harrah's Hoosier: Atlanta leads 'Burke Brigade' into major stakes card on Friday

Leading trainer Ron Burke has a host of talented trotters and pacers heading into action on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park. Burke's stable star Atlanta makes her first start back in the U.S. after capturing the Maple Leaf Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park on September 5 in a dominant performance.

"She's as good as she's ever been," said Burke of Atlanta, who drew post eight in the $150,000 Caesars Trotting Classic, race 13 of 15 on the stakes-filled program. "It's not going to be easy. She drew outside and will be getting a new driver."

Indeed, Atlanta will have Dave Miler behind her on Friday night, but the Hall of Fame driver has fit like a glove this year with many of the Burke trainees and shouldn't have issues with Atlanta. "I told David if you can just get her within four lengths at the head of the stretch, she'll do the rest," said Burke, knowing how well the 5-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven can handle the final quarter-mile.

The Caesars Trotting Classic has an outstanding field of 10 and that includes Gimpanzee (post 6), who finished third in the Maple Leaf and will try to rebound for regular pilot Brian Sears on Friday. Gimpanzee has won five of his seven starts during his 4-year-old campaign for trainer Marcus Melander.

Defending champion Lindy The Great returns this year in a new stable but has hardly missed a beat for trainer Julie Miller. Though winless in nine trips to post this year, Lindy The Great has earned $241K with solid second-place finishes in the Maple Leaf Trot and the John Cashman Memorial. Andy Miller will guide Lindy The Great from the second tier in post 10.

There are a few other heavy hitters in this year's Caesars, including Fiftydallarbill (post 1), JL Cruze (post 5) and Guardian Angel As (post 9).

Burke has a pair of exceptional 2-year-old pacers looking to score in stakes events on the undercard, including Continualou, a daughter of Sweet Lou entered in the $220,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management stake, race six on the card.

"I think she will definitely pick up on the big track," said Burke of Continualou, who has been campaigned exclusively over the Pennsylvania five-eighths mile tracks this summer. Most recently Continualou finished fifth in the $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship final. "She can get a little hot at times," said Burke. "I think the middle post position (5) will allow her to get into a flow."

On pedigree alone, Continualou should enjoy the trip to Indiana since her dam Continual Velocity, a lifetime earner of $558K, started her career with a victory over this same surface back in 2011.

The Kentuckiana Stallion Management field is composed of some other dominant fillies from different states, with locally based Somethingbeautiful (post 3) entering the contest with a perfect record in six starts this year for trainer Dylan Davis. A daughter of Always A Virgin, Somethingbeautiful has won from off the pace and on the front-end convincingly in each start. She has a career mark of 1:51 4/5.

Shipping west from New York will be Test Of Faith, the NYSS Final winner from two weeks ago at Yonkers. A daughter of Art Major, Test Of Faith has dominated her rivals on small and larger tracks. Brett Pelling conditions Test Of Faith, who drew post seven.

While Burke generally knows exactly what he has in a rather large stable, Southwind Gendry, the likely favorite in the $120,000 Elevation Stakes for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers (race 11), did not start off like the horse he has proven to be. "He wasn't among the top colts training down," said Burke. "He keeps getting better with each start."

A gelded son of first-year sire Always B Miki, Southwind Gendry has won five of his seven starts this year, the only losses coming when he made a break in stride. "I think they were just him being a colt," said Burke. "I think once he may have gotten sideways and the other time he was just trying to go too fast."

Much has changed for Southwind Gendry since David Miller first drove him in mid-August. He's won his last three races convincingly, including a 1:51 1/5 career-best mile in the Keystone Classic at The Meadows on September 14. Southwind Gendry landed post five and should see some competition from a pair of colts from trainer Brian Brown. Almanac (post 1) returns within four days after capturing the Kentucky Commonwealth final Monday at The Red Mile and What's Your Beef (post 4) has a stakes victory in 1:51 3/5 over the Hoosier Park surface.

First post for Friday's Harrah's Hoosier Park program is 6:30 p.m.