It’s unusual to see a major equipment change made in mid-season on a career winner of $856,065.

But perhaps that’s why Ron Burke isn’t just another trainer.

Burke put trotting hopples on the veteran Jailhouse Jesse gelding Rose Run Parker after the horse broke in two straight starts, and the equipment seemed to help straighten out the trotter as he won the $20,000 featured event at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Sunday night (June 25) in 1:52.3.

Matt Kakaley, guiding his third winner of the card to that point, had Rose Run Parker away from the gate quickly, getting the lead past the :28 quarter, and “the horse with recent gait problems” trotted like a perfect machine from there – :28.1, :28.1, :28.1, winning by one and a quarter lengths. The “Celebrity” photo for second saw Celebrity Eventsy edge out favoured Celebrity Pegasus behind the winner, who has now taken four of 12 this year and 43 of 72 career starts (60 percent).

The powerful team of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC will now be interested to see what the addition of the hopples might mean to Rose Run Parker’s current class-climbing abilities.

(PHHA/Pocono)