Of all the older racehorse divisions, trainer Ron Burke's stable certainly doesn't boast the power in the older trotting mare class that he does in the older pacing mare and older horse & gelding ranks. That is about to change.
Burke confirmed to Trot Insider on Tuesday morning that Maven, 2013's Older Trotting Mare of the Year in both Canada and the U.S., is now under his care.
Last year, Maven was head and shoulders above her division. She won 10 of 14 starts, finished second twice -- one of the those against male rivals in the American National -- and banked more than $513,000. Her worst finish was a fifth place effort in the Muscle Hill Trot at Vernon Downs; unknown to most, she finished that race having to pull a racebike with a flat tire.
Owned by William Donovan and developed by trainer Jonas Czernyson, Maven (Glidemaster-M Stewart) set world records on both a half-mile track (1:51.4 at Delaware) and a five-eighths mile track (1:51.4 at Pocono). At the end of her four-year-old year, she'd banked nearly $1.5 million in purses.
This year, Maven's resume isn't as sparkling. In 10 starts, including two in Sweden's Elitlopp, Maven has managed just two wins in 10 starts with $81,000+ in earnings. While acknowledging she's entered in the Harrisburg Mixed Sale, Burke told Trot Insider that he's planning to qualify Maven on Thursday at Mohegan Sun Pocono for Donovan before making her first start for his barn in the 2014 Muscle Hill. That race is set for Saturday, November 1 at Vernon Downs.