Hollywood’s Hits: Burke’s incredible numbers now include 8,000 wins

by Bob Heyden

Trainer Ron Burke surpassed 8,000 career wins this past weekend and had 8,017 victories as of Wednesday night with lifetime earnings of $177,596,400. Both are, far and away, the most by a trainer in harness racing history.

Huntsville in rare air

Huntsville won the Meadowlands Pace and the most interesting note might be this: Only two of the last 25 freshman pacing colts of the year have come back to capture the Pace at 3 — and all three were driven by Tim Tetrick: 2012-2013 Captaintreacherous; 2013-2014 He’s Watching and 2016-2017 Huntsville.

On the trotting side, only two of the first 25 “Trotting Colts Of The Year” won the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands from 1981-2005: 1986-1987 Mack Lobell and 1996-1997 Malabar Man. With Walner officially out of the Hambletonian, that number will remain at two, for now.

Winning a major five times by 35

Thanks to Huntsville’s win in the M. Pace, only Tim Tetrick has won the same major race five times by age 35.

Only John Campbell was close, winning his fifth Adios in 1994 with Cams Card Shark at age 39. Here’s a look at the ages of the drivers when they won their fifth major stakes race:

• Campbell — Messenger — age 40, 1995 with Davids Pass
• Campbell — North America Cup — age 42, 1997 Gothic Dream
• Campbell — Hambletonian — age 43, 1998 Muscles Yankee
• Campbell — Meadowlands Pace — age 44, 1999 The Panderosa
• Campbell — Three Diamonds — age 44, 1999 Arts Virtue
• Campbell — Mistletoe Shalee — age 45, 2000 Arts Virtue
• Stanley Dancer — Yonkers Trot — age 45, 1972 Super Bowl
• Campbell — Governor’s Cup — age 46, 2001 Western Shooter
• Campbell — Kentucky Futurity — age 46, 2001 Chasing Tail
• Ralph Baldwin — Kentucky Futurity — age 47, 1963 Speedy Scot
• Mike Lachance — William Haughton — age 49, 2000 Western Dreamer
• Campbell — Valley Victory — age 49, 2004 Diesel Don
• Campbell — Cane Pace — age 49, 2004 Dead Heat with Western Terror (Timesareachanging)
• Billy Haughton — Little Brown Jug — age 50, 1974 Armbro Omaha
• Lachance — Little Brown Jug — age 50, 2001 Bettors Delight
• Haughton — Messenger — age 50, 1974 Armbro Omaha
• Campbell — Merrie Annabelle — age 51, 2006 Gerris Joy
• David Miller — William Haughton final — age 52, 2017 Mach It So
• Joe O’Brien — Kentucky Futurity — age 56, 1973 Arnie Almahurst
• Ben White — Kentucky Futurity — age 60, 1933 Meda
• Berndt Lindstedt — Peter Haughton — age 64, 2000 Yankee Mustang

Records made to be broken

John Campbell is now going to be in a spot — like anyone who recently retired — of seeing some of his records surpassed.

Here are the two leading drivers of the 21st Century in earnings:

#1 Dave Miller $189,896,251
#2 Tim Tetrick $181,443,501

Campbell had the 20th century record of $176,466,322

David Miller’s Hambo history

David Miller has only two Hambletonian elimination winners to his credit: Malabar Maple in 2003 ($22.80) and Symphonic Hanover in 2009 ($31.40).

Can he join Billy Haughton as Hall Of Famers who win their first Hambletonians after going into the Hall? Haughton went into the Hall in 1969 and broke though in the Hambletonian in a big way in 1974 with Christopher T, and then won it an amazing five times in nine years as a trainer, the first four doubling as the driver, as well.