Dominant in Delaware: Louprint jogs in Jug
A few months after life-threatening surgery, the homebred colt provided the fifth Jug victory for trainer Ron Burke and the first for driver Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.
by Nicole Kraft
Ron Burke stood in July outside the stall of his prized colt, Louprint. The pacing colt was arguably the best Burke had ever trained, which is saying a lot for the winner of four Little Brown Jugs.
Louprint was his best chance for a fifth, but that day, he faced a life-threatening emergency – a scrotal hernia had allowed his intestine to slip into a testicle, cutting off the blood supply. Emergency surgery ultimately saved the colt’s life but cost him a testicle and kept him away from racing for a month.
Burke hoped the pacer would return to some semblance of the championship glory that had carried him to 12 wins and nearly $1 million in earnings.
Louprint, instead, came back even better.
The odds-on favorite proved it Thursday (Sept. 18) by going to the front and not looking back to give Burke his fifth Jug trophy and the winner’s share of the $600,000 purse, in a Jug win that might be his sweetest yet.
Louprint won the race in 1:50.1 with Odds On Outlier in second and Captain Optimistic finishing third. It was his ninth win of the year and increased his lifetime earnings to $1,641,712.
“He’s just a perfect horse,” Burke said. “I love him. I was his advocate the whole way. Even as we were training down last year, everybody had their favorites, and I kept saying, ‘This is the best one I got.’”
Louprint left no doubt he was the best in his first elimination heat when he went to the lead and did not look back, opening up two lengths on his competition in 1:50.3 with barely any urging from Wrenn.
The Wrenn family was back in the winner’s circle just a race later when Ronnie’s aunt and uncle, Melanie and Peter, won the second elimination with Odds On Outlier, driven by Dexter Dunn, by three widening lengths in 1:49.3.
Although he was sent off as the race favorite, Melanie Wrenn admitted, “Every win is a surprise. We were just hoping for him to compete. We definitely didn’t know he could come to Delaware, OH, and compete with other great horses and run off like that. I didn’t see that coming at all.”
Melanie also never imagined her first Jug experience would put her in head-to-head competition with her nephew, who started his racing education at age 20 at Peter Wrenn’s barn.
“He’s an incredible athlete,” she said. “He didn’t really take an interest in the horses till late, and then he just showed up. He was a little green then. Now, he has won more races than anybody in North America.”
In the end, no one was going to catch or even challenge Louprint, who started from post 1 and took the lead immediately. Odds On Outlier sat on his back through the entire race but could get no closer than 1½ lengths.
With his fifth Jug victory, Burke is now the second-winningest trainer in race history, behind only harness racing legend Billy Haughton. The trainer admitted that winning the race never gets old.
“It’s special in a different way every time,” he said.
This win, however, might be the Burke Brigade’s most personal one yet. Louprint is a homebred product of a Burke-owned sire (Sweet Lou) and dam (Rockin Racer) owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Phil Collura and Larry Karr. The colt arrived on the racing scene came shortly after the death of Burke family patriarch Mickey, whose loss is still felt every day.
Burke said he was thinking about his father immediately after Louprint crossed the finish line.
“It’s over a year, so we’ve gotten somewhat used to it,” he said. “But the other day my mom said, ‘You know how proud he would be.’”
For Ronnie Wrenn, whose own three children frolicked on the track while he conducted post-race interviews, the race was a testament to his father, Ron, a member of the Michigan Hall of Fame, who died of cancer in 2014.
Ronnie also honored his friend and fellow horseman Hunter Myers, who died March 20 from injuries suffered in a racing accident at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows near Pittsburgh. Ronnie wore a hunter green and black HM on the pocket of his racing colors and the back of his helmet, and a green rubber bracelet on his left wrist. He gently fingered a green memorial band wrapped around his left bicep as he recalled those who were with him in spirit only.
“With those two by my side, it inspires me and motivates me every day,” he said.
In other Jug Day action, as filed by Jay Wolf for the Little Brown Jug…
MS. VERSATILITY FINAL HELD
M-M’s Dream (Yannick Gingras) has been near the top of the division her entire career and today was no different in the $94,000 Miss Versatility final (Grade 3) on the Little Brown Jug undercard.
The Swan For All mare grabbed the early lead, controlled the fractions, and held off late challenges from Call Me Goo (Tim Tetrick) by a half-length and Bravo Angel S (Jason Bartlett) by 1½ lengths in 1:53.
The 6-year-old mare is owned by Hillside Stables and Frank Baldachino.
M-M’s Dream has amassed $2,049,167 during her 64-race career.
The Miss Versatility final is presented by Allerage Farms.
OLD OAKEN BUCKET TO CHEERS HANOVER
Cheers Hanover (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) wore down the pacesetting Whiskey Wow (David Miller) and held off a rally by Lefties Righties (Braxten Boyd) to win the $103,500 Old Oaken Bucket (Grade 3) for sophomore colt trotters.
The winning time was 1:54.4.
Cheers Hanover won for the fifth time this season and the ninth time during his career.
The Bar Hopping gelding has won $254,848 for the partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, James Simpson and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
DIVINE THING TAKES BUCKETTE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Country Victory (David Miller) looked to have things under control in the $81,400 Buckette (Grade 3) until Divine Thing (Todd McCarthy) found enough daylight in the stretch to sprint clear in 1:53.2.
Country Victory held on for second and Santa Cristina (Scott Zeron) finished five lengths back in third.
Divine Thing has won three straight races for the ownership group of Jay Mossbarger, Brent Hopper, and Kyle Gray.
Steve Carter trains the Greenshoe 3-year-old trotting filly.
PROLIFIC FIRE ESTABLISHES NEW STAKE MARK IN $116,140 OBC 3FP
Greg Luther Racing’s Prolific Fire overcame the second-tier starting position and crushed her eight opponents by 10 lengths in a stakes record 1:51.
Austin Hanners got the winner away early in third, took the lead past the half-mile station and cruised home ahead of The Word Is Out (Chris Page) and Anna Loves Bananas (Aaron Merriman).
The Catch The Fire filly took the lion’s share of the $116,140 purse to push her career earnings to $267,445.
(Editor’s note: This final item was written by Emily Cain, who participated in the United States Harness Writer’s Association’s Clyde Hirt Journalism Workshop, where she was able to cover the 100th edition of the Hambletonian. She is a junior at Ohio University, studying journalism and sport management):
RICK WINK VICTORIOUS IN OHIO BREEDERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Under a confident drive by Chris Page, Rick Wink took the $116,440 Ohio Breeders Championship for 3-year-old colt pacers in 1:50.4.
Leaving the gate from post 4, Downbythewater (Dexter Dunn) got positioned near the front, followed by Swingtown (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.). At the first quarter pole, Swingtown held the lead in :27.1 with Rick Wink parked second on the outside.
Before they reached the halfway mark, Rick Wink grabbed the lead in :55.3. Positions remained unchanged past the three quarters in 1:24.2.
At the final turn, Swingtown made one final attempt to close in on his stablemate, but his late bid would prove unsuccessful.
Rick Wink won by a head over Swingtown. It was another 1¼ lengths back to Downbythewater.
The son of Bit Of A Legend N has won five of 11 starts this season and 13 of 20 lifetime. He has earned $589,970 lifetime.
Ron Burke trains the winner for Burke Racing Stable, RAS Racing, Knox Services, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
