"I’m sure Ronnie is going to come to me one of these days under the right conditions and say to go ahead and shatter the world record. And then I will.”

Sweet Lou and driver Ron Pierce have teamed to win seven consecutive races, but Pierce believes he deserves none of the credit for the hot streak.

He also believes the best is yet to come.

Sweet Lou, who has won 29 of 65 lifetime races and $2.78 million in purses, is enjoying the best stretch of his award-winning career as he heads into Saturday’s $257,700 U.S. Pacing Championship at Meadowlands Racetrack. Sweet Lou, who starts from post seven, faces eight foes, including Captaintreacherous, State Treasurer, Golden Receiver, and Ron Burke-trained stablemates Foiled Again, Bettors Edge, and Clear Vision.

The race is part of a stakes-filled Hambletonian Day card at the Big M. Among the other highlights are the $300,650 John Cashman Jr. Memorial for older trotters, $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for three-year-old female trotters, and the $1 million Hambletonian for three-year-old trotters.

Coverage of the card will air throughout the afternoon on TVG and from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

“It’s just unbelievable how good they have him right now,” Pierce said about Sweet Lou. “The Burke crew really has him sharp.

“It’s not me, believe me, it’s the horse. The horse is doing everything pretty much on his own. I’m just a passenger. I think if any of the top guys would’ve gotten on this horse he’d be doing the same thing. I’m giving all the credit to the Burkes and their crew. They’re doing all the work. All I do is sit there.”

Pierce started driving Sweet Lou in May and the two have teamed to win the Ben Franklin Pace, William R. Haughton Memorial, and Roll With Joe stakes during their seven races together.

It is Sweet Lou’s longest win streak, topping his six consecutive victories bridging his two- and three-year-old seasons. Sweet Lou was the 2011 Dan Patch Award winner as harness racing’s best two-year-old male pacer and earned more than $1 million at age three, but endured a stretch of just four wins in 31 starts prior to his recent surge.

“I wasn’t sure [what to expect],” Pierce said, looking back to when he started driving Sweet Lou. “I’d raced against him plenty, but no I didn’t really think he was going to be winning these kinds of races so easily. I just happened to get on him at the right time.

“It’s such a pleasure to race this horse because he’s so good. You can do anything you want to do. If you want to take back, you take back; if you want to go forward, all you have to do is feed him racetrack. And then he’ll come right back to you once he gets to the top. It’s just a pleasure. It’s a thrill.”

Sweet Lou, owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr, and Phil Collura, still holds the world record of 1:49 for a two-year-old pacer and this season became the fastest horse ever on a five-eighths-mile track when he captured the Ben Franklin in 1:47 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

The fastest race mile in history is 1:46.4, a mark shared by Holborn Hanover, Somebeachsomewhere, Warrawee Needy, and Hes Watching.

But Pierce thinks Sweet Lou could take down that mark sometime in the future.

“If Ronnie tells me to shatter the world record, I will,” Pierce said. “He could do it, no problem. But I want to keep him within himself for as long as I can. It’s better for him. The longer I can go without stretching him out, the better off he’s going to be in the long run. I’m not going to be showboating or anything like that.

Following is the U.S. Pacing Championship field in post order with listed drivers and trainers:

1. Golden Receiver, Corey Callahan, Jake Huff
2. State Treasurer, David Miller, Ian Moore
3. Thinking Out Loud, John Campbell, Bob McIntosh
4. Sunfire Blue Chip, Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter
5. Foiled Again, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke
6. Bettors Edge, Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke
7. Sweet Lou, Ron Pierce, Ron Burke
8. Captaintreacherous, Tim Tetrick, Tony Alagna
9. Clear Vision, Brett Miller, Ron Burke

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.