by Murray Brown

Just about every fan of harness racing knows that the Burke family runs the largest harness racing entity on this world of ours. Although the horses generally run under the auspices of Ron Burke as trainer, there are many more people who play a part in its destiny and usually its success.

First, there is the Burke family, the entire family down from patriarch Mickey Burke, Sr. who oversees the breaking and initial training of the yearlings, both the homebreds and those purchased at various sales throughout North America.

A major component of the stable is Mark Weaver, the chief scout involved in the racing part of the operation, who secures its future stars through racehorses currently competing. There are of course, the other owners, many of whom have been with the stable for quite some time.

There was a time when the stable was almost totally composed of overnight horses, with a rare yearling being present in its roster. Although they are always on the lookout for a good racehorse to add to their ranks, these years most of their champions are, in effect, developed from the time when they are yearlings. They are the proverbial little acorns from which their stable’s mighty oaks are grown.

Note that this is more than just a roster. It also tells you where the Burkes got the horses and, in the case of those that were purchased at public auction, where and for how much.

Going through the roster of the present 2-year-olds, one finds a distinct geographical bias in the horses that they breed and buy. Of the 77 juveniles in training:

The stable is made up of 47 pacers and 33 trotters.

The pacers include 20 colts and 27 fillies.

The trotters are made up of 22 colts and 11 fillies.

Of the 20 pacing colts, seven are homebreds, with 13 having been purchased at Lexington (four), Harrisburg (six), Ohio Selected (two), and Hoosier Classic (one).

Of the pacing colts 11 are eligible to Pennsylvania Sires Stakes, five to Ohio, and one each to Indiana, New Jersey and Ontario.

The 27 pacing fillies are made up of six homebreds with 21 having been purchased at Lexington (11), Harrisburg (five), Ohio Selected (three), Buckeye Classic (one), and one at the Hoosier Classic.

Of the pacing fillies, 16 are eligible to Pennsylvania, six to Ohio, two to New York and one each to Indiana and New Jersey.

Of the 22 trotting colts six are homebreds, with 16 having been purchased at Lexington (six), Harrisburg (five), Ohio Selected (four) and one at the Hoosier Classic.

Of the trotting colts, 11 are eligible in Pennsylvania, five in Ohio, five in New Jersey and one in New York.

Of the 11 trotting fillies, two are homebreds, the other nine were purchased at Harrisburg (three), Ohio Selected (three), Buckeye Classic (two) and Lexington (one).

Of the trotting fillies six are eligible in Ohio, three in Pennsylvania and one each in New Jersey and Kentucky. This category presents an anomaly being the only one in which the leader is not in Pennsylvania breds. Pennsylvania is where the stable has its in season headquarters.

Many of the homebreds are made up of the issue of two of the stable’s greatest stars, the pacer Sweet Lou (seven) and the trotter Southwind Frank (four).

Here is the roster as presently constituted:

PACING COLTS

by BIT OF A LEGEND N

Rick Wink

Dam: McGrin N McBare It by McArdle. Purchased at Ohio Selected for $27,000.

by CAPTAINTREACHEROUS

Captain Rocknroll

Beautiful Lady by Rocknroll Hanover. Homebred

Hezthecaptain

Shezarealdeal by Western Ideal. Purchased for $70,000 at Harrisburg.

by CATTLEWASH

Tom Horn

Dancinwiththestarz by Four Starzzz Shark. Purchased at Lexington for $95,000.

by DANCIN LOU

TH Allowmetolead

Allow Me Hanover by Artspeak. Purchased at Harrisburg for $50,000.

by DOWNBYTHESEASIDE

Harrisburg Heist

Cashaway by Western Ideal. Homebred.

Rock’s Sand

Rock My Girl by Rocknroll Hanover. Homebred.

Swingtown

Swinging Beauty by Art Major. Purchased for $160,000 at Lexington.

by FEAR THE DRAGON

Oh Beach Please

Beach Club by Somebeachsomewhere. Purchased for $40,000 at Ohio Selected.

by JK ENDOFANERA

Hopeyaliketheshow

Don’t Forget by Well Said. Purchased for $100,000 at Hoosier Classic.

by PAPI ROB HANOVER

TH Colby

Fade by Shadow Play. Purchased at Harrisburg for $250,000.

Robbed By Force

Magic Forces by Art Major. Purchased at Lexington for $125,000.

by SWEET LOU

Lou’s Albano

Camille by Camluck. Homebred.

Gannon’s Veloucity

Continual Velocity by Real Artist. Homebred.

Lifestory Lou

Lifestory Hanover by Somebeachsomewhere. Purchased for $30,000 at Harrisburg.

Defiant Character

Riley Character by Shady Character. Homebred.

Railroad Station

Rodeo Rosie by Well Said. Purchased for $110,000 at Lexington.

Da Lou Ron Ron

Sassa Hanover by Rock N Roll Heaven. Homebred.

Hezthecaptain

Shezarealdeal by Western Ideal. Purchased for $70,000 at Harrisburg.

Waitingforguffman

Wait Til April by Dragon Again. Purchased for $55,000 at Harrisburg.

Totals — Pacing colts (21), homebreds (seven), purchased at public auction (13) for 1,202,000, for an average of $92,461.

PACING FILLIES

by ALL BETS OFF

Marmalade Skies

Helen Of Leda by Pro Bono Best. Purchased at Harrisburg for $30,000.

by ALWAYS B MIKI

Always Ana Hanover

Ana Hanover by Somebeachsomewhere. Purchased at Harrisburg for $100,000.

Blessed Hanover

Bettor B Lucky by Bettor’s Delight. Purchased at Harrisburg for $40,000.

Beaumont

Harpswell by Somebeachsomewhere. Purchased at Lexington for $95,000.

by CAPTAIN CRUNCH

Its Crunch Time

Meghan Lynn by American Ideal. Homebred.

by CAPTAINTREACHEROUS

Rodeo Drive Deo

Miss L A by Bettor’s Delight. Purchased for $170,000 at Lexington.

Palmetto Hanover

Pretty N Fast by Sweet Lou. Purchased for $90,000 at Harrisburg.

by CATTLEWASH

Beach Babe

Backstreet Sweetie by Dragon Again. Purchased for $85,000 at Lexington.

by DOWNBYTHESEASIDE

Rose Run Ashlee

Laurel’s Lea by Western Terror. Purchased for $140,000 at Ohio Selected.

Seaside Lover

Lover Of Art by Artsplace. Purchased for $80,000 at Lexington.

Sippinonsearoc

Queen Ann M by Big Bad John. Purchased for $77,000 at Lexington.

Sea Of Heartbreak

Your Beautiful by Your Nemesis. Purchased for $85,000 at Ohio Selected.

by HUNTSVILLE

Classy Patriot

Ideal Patriot by American Ideal. Purchased at Lexington for $70,000.

Shes A Streaker

Mikayla Rose by Ponder. Purchased for $80,000 at Harrisburg.

You Can Trust Me

Who Can You Trust by Art Major. Homebred.

by JK ENDOFANERA

JKs Summer Express

Tell Me Its Summer by Tellitlikeitis. Purchased at Hoosier Classic for $30,000.

by PAPI ROB HANOVER

Ava’s Remy

Baron Remy by Yankee Cruiser. Homebred.

Phantastic Deo

Full Picture by Artsplace. Purchased for $45,000 at Lexington.

Smile Happy

Weeper by Allamerican Native. Purchased for $120,000 at Lexington.

by SWEET LOU

Flouzzy

Fashion Fluzzy by Real Artist. Homebred.

Looksgoodinloulou

Looksgoodinaromper by Pet Rock. Homebred.

Sweet Ballad

Write Me A Song by Sportswriter. Homebred.

by TALL DARK STRANGER

Heather Michele

Alexis Faith by American Ideal. Purchased at Lexington for $225,000.

Bougie Hanover

Beyond Ecstasy by Somebeachsomewhere. Purchased at Lexington for $160,000.

Accede

Triple V Hanover by Somebeachsomewhere. Purchased at Lexington for $120,000.

by THE PANDEROSA 

Zooma Rose

Artcam by Artsplace. Purchased at Buckeye Classic for $26,000.

by WELL SAID

The Word Is Out

Treacherous Secret by Captaintreacherous. Purchased at Ohio Selected for $24,000.

Totals — Pacing fillies (27), homebreds (six), purchased at public auction (21) for $1,892,000, for an average of $90,095.

TROTTING COLTS

by BAR HOPPING

Cheers Hanover

Chez Lucie by Malabar Man. Purchased at Harrisburg for $37,000.

Dogfish Hanover

Dancing Flames by Donato Hanover. Purchased at Harrisburg for $30,000.

Honolulu Hanover

Holtby Hanover by Cantab Hall. Purchased at Harrisburg for $20,000.

Messenger Hanover

Musetta Hanover by Cantab Hall. purchased at Harrisburg for $40,000.

by CANTAB HALL

Podico

Cali Ally by Muscle Hill. Purchased for $30,000 at Lexington.

by CHAPTER SEVEN

Blown Call

Wine Rack Hanover by Kadabra. Purchased at Lexington for $170,000.

by GREENSHOE

Big Shoes

Witty Girl by SJ’s Photo. Homebred.

by MUSCLE HILL

Hidalgo

Brooklyn by Conway Hall. Purchased at Harrisburg for $600,000.

Governor As It

Impinktoo by Manofmanymissions. Purchased at Lexington for $150,000.

Java Jukebox

Handover Belle by Andover Hall. Purchased at Lexington for $85,000.

by SOUTHWIND FRANK

All By Myself

Belgravia by Kadabra. Homebred.

Show It All

Expose Yourself by Kadabra. Homebred.

Party At Frank’s

Party At The Banks by Break The Bank K. Homebred.

Wembanyama

Unefoisdansmavie by Revenue S. Homebred.

by SWAN FOR ALL

Starlitfranknstein

A Southern Lily by Southwind Frank. Purchased for $12,000 at the Hoosier Classic.

by TACTICAL LANDING

Tactical Dynasty

Dynasty by Father Patrick. Purchased for $60,000 at Lexington.

by UNCLE PETER

Memory Vault

Thankful Reward by Yankee Glide. Purchased at Lexington for $40,000.

Oh Yes

Istara by Bar Hopping. Purchased at Ohio Selected for $40,000.

That Blu Me Away

Sand Lauren Blu by Muscle Hill. Purchased at Ohio Selected for $80,000.

by WHAT THE HILL

Bravo Hill

Bessie by Equinox Bi. Purchased for $75,000 at Ohio Selected.

Rose Run Alex

Dabrina by Kadabra. Purchased for $60,000 at Ohio Selected.

Seeyouatthelake

Panamera by Credit Winner. Homebred.

Totals — Trotting colts (22), homebreds (six), purchased at public auction (16) for $1,529,000, for an average of $95,562.

TROTTING FILLIES

by BAR HOPPING

Demarara Hanover

Dab Hanover by Donato Hanover. Purchased at Harrisburg for $85,000.

by FATHER PATRICK

Zeldy

Looking For Zelda by Break The Bank K. Purchased at Harrisburg for $18,000.

by GIMPANZEE

Kimpanzee

Kadena Reef – Kadabra. Homebred.

by GREENSHOE

Ms Prada

Asiago by Muscle Hill. Purchased at Lexington for $100,000.

by LONG TOM

Brink Street

Lucky Irish Babe by Cantab Hall. Purchased for $40,000 at Buckeye Classic.

Luv U Long Tom

Kota’s Swan by Swan For All. Purchased for $32,000 at Ohio Selected.

Rose Run Allison

Rose Run Timeless by Broadway Hall. Purchased for $105,000 at Ohio Selected.

by UNCLE PETER

Gone In A Flash

Action On Lavec by Mr Lavec. Purchased for $10,000 at Buckeye Classic.

by WALNER

Walner Maga Girl

Margarita Nights by Yankee Glide. Purchased for $150,000 at Harrisburg.

by WHAT THE HILL

Sarah Hill

Petey Sarah by Uncle Peter. Homebred.

Mocha Hill

Socha Hanover by Cantab Hall. Purchased for $47,000 at Ohio Selected.

Totals — Trotting fillies (11), homebreds (two), purchased at public auction (9) for $587,000, for an average of $65,222.