With morning-line favourites in five of the 12 Breeders Crown finals at The Meadowlands, trainer Ron Burke is hoping for a big weekend as he looks to add to his collection of 20 trophies.
Burke ranks second in training wins in the 40-year history of the Breeders Crown, trailing only Jimmy Takter’s 34 victories. Takter set the record for training wins in a single year with six in 2015 at Woodbine Racetrack. Åke Svanstedt won four finals last year to become the only other trainer with more than three in a year. Burke has won three finals in a year twice and multiple Crowns in a year on six occasions.
“We’ve had more horses (in the finals), but I don’t know if we’ve ever had the quality that we have this year,” Burke said. “We have legit shots to have two really good days.
“I’m just hoping for good luck and for horses all to stay sharp. I like our chances to have a good couple of days.”
Burke will send out nine of his 16 finalists on Friday (Oct. 25). Three of them will be in the $700,000 USD Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace, including 6-5 morning-line favourite Looksgoodinloulou. Burke’s group on Saturday (Oct. 26) includes morning-line choices Bythemissal in the $600,000 USD Open Pace, T C I in the $600,000 Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot, My Girl EJ in the $600,000 USD Three-Year-Old Filly Pace, and M Ms Dream in the $496,000 USD Mare Trot.
Looksgoodinloulou is the fastest two-year-old pacing filly of the season by virtue of a world record-tying 1:48.3 win in the International Stallion Stakes earlier this month at the Red Mile. She missed equaling that by a whisker in the first of two $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations, but still set a Meadowlands divisional track record of 1:48.4.
A winner in four of seven career starts, Looksgoodinloulou has banked $343,926 for breeders Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, who own the horse with Larry Karr and Phil Collura. She drew the No. 1 post for the final.
“She is the best filly I’ve trained down ever,” Burke said about the daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper. “She’s got three lungs, just never gets tired. She’s got a great attitude, loves her job. A perfect horse.”
The fact Looksgoodinloulou is among a growing number of homebreds for the Burke Brigade means a lot to the trainer.
“We have better mares, and it’s our stud, (Sweet) Lou, mostly,” said Burke. “He’s a great stallion. I think he’s the best. We’re going to keep doing because it’s working. Truthfully, it’s more fun. When it’s your mare and your stud, it’s just more fun. There’s a sense of pride in it.”
Burke’s other two fillies in the final are Rose (9-2) and Rodeo Drive Deo (10-1). Rose finished fourth in her elim, won by The Last Martini, after going off at 1-5. Rodeo Drive Deo was second to Looksgoodinloulou in her elim.
“I thought they were all real good with the exception of Rose,” Burke said. “I’ll go back to the drawing board with her. She’s got to be sick or something. She acted very odd after the race. That’s not her, she’s the hardest trying little filly I have. That was an aberration for her. We’ll figure it out.”
Burke will send out four horses in the $700,000 USD Colt & Gelding Pace on Friday, and although he doesn’t have the morning-line favourite, he has one of the two elim winners in Swingtown. The son of Downbytheseaside-Swinging Beauty is 7-2, the third choice behind favourite Fallout at 5-2 and fellow elim winner Captain Optimistic at 3-1.
In his elimination race, Swingtown pulled even with favourite Fallout in the last eighth and eventually won by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:50.1. Swingtown has won six of nine races, hit the board twice more, and earned $481,604.
“That’s the Swingtown we all know,” Burke said. “I was really happy with him. He raced back two weeks in a row, but he probably needed the work.”
Burke’s other colts are Sippinonsearoc (5-1), Louprint (6-1) and Railroad Station (10-1). Railroad Station, Louprint and Sippinonsearoc finished 2-3-4, respectively, in their elimination.
“I have really good two-year-olds this year, and I’m very happy with them. We just have to get them ready for the finals. Nobody cares what you do in the eliminations.”
On Saturday, My Girl EJ and Bythemissal will attempt to repeat at Breeders Crown champions. My Girl EJ, Bythemissal, and T C I were elimination winners. There was no elim for the Mare Trot.
My Girl EJ, a homebred daughter of Sweet Lou-Lucys Pearl, has finished in the top two of 12 of 15 races this season, winning eight.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Burke said. “She’s coming into the final as good as she’s been all year.”
Bythemissal, a five-year-old son of Downbytheseaside-Dismissal, was a Dan Patch Award winner in 2023. The gelding was sidelined earlier this season but has won back-to-back starts heading to his Breeders Crown final.
“Once we get him to where he’s supposed to be, he’s just a great horse,” Burke said. “He had a small injury, and we did the right thing, we didn’t push on. He’s going to reward us now with hopefully many more years of racing.”
T C I, a son of Cantab Hall-Nicoles Promise, flashed a return to his best form when he won his elimination by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:51.4 in his first start on Lasix. He was fifth in his previous start, a division of the Bluegrass Stakes, and not entered in the Kentucky Futurity. He has won six of 11 races this year and 16 of 23 lifetime, banking more than $1.9 million.
“He could not have been better,” Burke said. “I think Lasix was the missing key with him. I easily thought he was the most impressive horse of those last week. He’s as good or better than ever. He needs a statement win for this year and hopefully this is going to be it.”
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(USTA)