Red Mile: Ron Burke reaches 16,000 training wins milestone

Ron Burke, the winngest trainer in horse racing history, sent out his 16,000th winner on Tuesday afternoon at The Red Mile when Kimpanzee, a 3-year-old daughter of Gimpanzee won the seventh race.

Burke, who has more than two times as many victories than Virgil Morgan Jr., who is second on the all-time wins list, also tops Thoroughbred racing's Steve Asmussen 16,000 to 10,950. Burke's $359,146,204 in earnings also leads harness racing and trails only Thoroughbred trainers Todd Pletcher, Asmussen, Bob Baffert and Bill Mott overall.

Kimpanzee's triumph made Burke three-for-three on Tuesday at The Red Mile; the second of his victors was Sippinonsearoc in the $80,000 second leg of the Kentucky Championship Series for 3-year-old male pacers. Driven by Yannick Gingras, Sippinonsearoc took the lead away from Captain Arturovico (Geremy Bobbitt) past the 26 3/5 quarter, and following middle-half panels of 53 4/5 and 1:21 2/5, Sippinonsearoc kicked home in 27 seconds flat to win by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:48 2/5. Crack Shot (Doug McNair) was second and Captain Arturovico wound up third.

Sippinonsearoc, a colt by Downbytheseaside, is owned by owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., R A S Racing LLC. and Knox Services Inc. Sippinonsearoc, who was bred by Trent Stohler Stable and Alesha Binkley, has a summary of 9-4-2 from 20 appearances, has put away $720,900 and returned $2.44 to win.

In a Kentucky Championship Series test for 3-year-old trotting fillies, Voguish (Todd McCarthy) cut fractions of 28 4/5, 56 3/5 and 1:24 4/5, but Luna Lovegood (Dexter Dunn) tipped out of the pocket before three-quarters. Voguish tried to hold on through the lane, but she weakened inside the final eighth, and Luna Lovegood took advantage as she went by en route to the victory by a neck in 1:53 1/5. R Lady W (Scott Zeron) rallied off Luna Lovegood's cover for second and Stash Some Cash (Tim Tetrick) got up for third.

Marcus Melander trains Luna Lovegood, a daughter of Gimpanzee bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander, for owner Holly Lane Stud East Ltd. She has six wins, a second and a third from 14 starts, has banked $422,010 and returned $11.88 to win.

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Strangerinthenight, a Tall Dark Stranger colt, led throughout in a 1:51 1/5 win for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Tony Alagna in a $30,000 Kentucky Commonwealth Series dash for 3-year-old male pacers. Strangerinthenight, who paid $6.14 to win, was bred by Alagna Racing LLC., Marvin Katz and Riverview Racing LLC. and is owned by Brittany Farms, Riverview Racing LLC., Steve Head and Pryde Stables Inc.

A pair of Kentucky Commonwealth Series divisions for 3-year-old trotting fillies were held, and the winners were:

--Kadena (by Gimpanzee and bred by Mission Brief Stable, paid $4.18 to win) in 1:52 3/5 for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Marcus Melander and owners Jeff Snyder and S R F Stable;

--Winnpanzee (by Gimpanzee and bred by Ola Yoder, paid $12.66 to win) in 1:52 3/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Brad Grant, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

Two $15,000 splits of the Kentucky Golden Rod Series for sophomore pacing males went behind the gate, with victories taken by:

--Lafitte (by Tall Dark Stranger and bred by Steve Stewart, Conquest Acres Lp and Michael Robinson, paid $9.78 to win) in 1:50 for co-owner/driver Anibal Borjas, trainer Tony Alagna and co-owners Alagna Racing LLC. and David Reid;

--Fusion (by Always B Miki and bred by owner Diamond Creek, paid $6.72 to win) in 1:51 for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling.

The three-year-old trotting fillies were divided into three Kentucky Golden Rod Series flights, and getting the job done were:

--Anativenewyorker (by Greenshoe and bred by owner Marvin Katz with Al Libfeld, paid $4.98 to win) in 1:53 2/5 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Marcus Melander;

--Caviart Ivy (by Love You and bred by Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband, paid $33.22 to win) in 1:53 2/5 for driver Niko Karna, trainer Noel Daley and owners Patricia Stable, Caviart Farms and Sjoblom Racing Inc.;

--Belmont (by Gimpanzee and bred by Diamond Creek, paid $3.36 to win) in 1:53 2/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Marcus Melander and owners S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East Ltd.