“She’s probably the most talented horse we’ve ever had.” In Ron Burke’s stable, a statement like that is not made lightly.

With horses like Sweet Lou and fan favourite Foiled Again residing in his superstar barn that dominates on both sides of the border, it would take something special to make any horse stand out.

Burke’s trotting filly Mission Brief has turned many heads this season prior to her Canadian debut last week. After posting devastating miles over The Meadowlands earlier this year, she produced a world-record clocking of 1:52.1 in her Peaceful Way elimination. Selecting post five in the lucrative $375,000 final, Mission Brief will be in search of victory Saturday night with the biggest target of the ten trotting fillies on her back.

“Yannick (Gingras) has been saying she can trot in 1:51,” says Burke. “Nothing she ever does surprises me. It would surprise me if she suddenly acted perfectly and never put up a fuss, but talent-wise, not in the slightest.”

Mission Brief has made five trips to the winner’s circle in seven starts, only failing to claim victory due to breaks in stride. The first came in her first pari-mutuel start, the second more recently over Tioga Downs on August 24.

“She has more of a mannerism issue; it’s not a flaw with her ability. It’s just putting her in a bad spot, somewhere she doesn’t want it to be. We thought we had it sorted and could manage, but things have gone terribly wrong twice and she runs.”

“She will learn to race from the back eventually, but for now, we just have to let her set sail.”

Purchased for $150,000 from the Lexington Select Yearling Sale last year, Burke was taken with the Muscle Hill - Southwind Serena filly right away.

“Mission Brief was a very athletic looking filly as a yearling, but the pedigree drew us to her. When we looked in the stall, we went ‘Oh my goodness, thank you...she looks the part too’. We liked everything about her from day one.”

The trotting filly seems to have the winning part under control, but it took some work to get her there.

“To say she trained down perfectly would be a lie,” said Burke with a laugh. “She ran every trip until 2:15 and then after that, the faster she went, the better she got.”

Burke and Gingras, her driving regular, approached the Peaceful Way elimination with strategy. Both wanted the ability to select a post position in the final; she usurped their hopes, claiming victory and breaking a world record.

“She likes to follow right behind the car, so we figured if there was a scratch, we would still be behind the car. From there, just have to let her trot out and hope everything goes great.”

Mission Brief is staked to all the major events left in the year for two-year-old trotting fillies. Lexington is the next stop, with the rest of the season flush with options.

After showing such promise in herrookie season, Burke has Hambletonian hopes for next year. He believes Mission Brief could be the filly to get them there.

“The Hambletonian has been won by fillies in the past, so it’s not a pipe dream. If she raced with the colts, I think she’d be the favourite. No one knows what will happen next year, but she has the ability to trot fast.

“The ultimate dream would be to see that happen, but if she does as well as she is doing this year, then she would be in it for sure.”

The field for Saturday’s $375,000 Peaceful Way Stakes final is below:

1. Stubborn Belle – Paul MacDonell
2. Danielle Hall – Jody Jamieson
3. Jolene Jolene – David Miller
4. Elegant Serenity – Roger Mayotte
5. Mission Brief – Yannick Gingras
6. Southwind Champane – Steve Byron
7. Dynamite Dame – Sylvain Filion
8. Amoureuse Hanover – Doug McNair
9. Juanitas Fury – TBD
10. Lady Caterina – Phil Hudon

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Hannah Beckett)