Trainer Ron Burke wrote more harness racing history as he reached another unprecedented milestone on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at The Red Mile.
The Hall of Famer captured his 16,000th career victory when Kimpanzee and Yannick Gingras crossed the line in the seventh race, a $13,699 Kentucky Wildcat Series division.
Burke is by far the winningest trainer in the sport's history, more than 8,000 wins clear of second-placed Virgil Morgan Jr. He has also collected nearly $360 million in career earnings and leads Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter by more than $215 million. This year, Burke has already collected nearly 400 victories and more than $8 million in earnings over his nearest competitor.
A Canonsburg, Pa. resident, Burke is based at The Meadows with his 300-head strong Burke Brigade, but said he was thrilled to hit this milestone over the red clay.
“I'm really happy it happened here (at The Red Mile),” he said. “My new home away from home.”
Burke's greatest horses include Foiled Again, the highest-earning Standardbred of all time ($7.6 million), Sweet Lou ($3.4 million), Atlanta ($3.8 million), Hannelore Hanover ($3.3 million), Buck I St Pat ($2.3 million), Southwind Frank ($2.1 million), Warrawee Ubeaut ($2 million), and Mission Brief ($1.6 million). His most recent star is 2025 North America Cup champion Louprint ($1.6 million). Burke also owns 21 Breeders Crown trophies, which is second all-time behind Takter.
Aiding his trainer to reach the 16,000-win milestone was Sippinonsearoc (Gingras) in the $109,589 first second-leg division of the Kentucky Championship Series for sophomore male pacers. He scored in a geared-down 1:48.2, equalling his lifetime mark that made him the fastest two-year-old of all time when he established it last year.
Captain Arturovico (Geremy Bobbitt) left the gate on top and established the first split of :26.3 while Sippinonsearoc was second. Gingras, however, did not wait long to move his horse to the front, and Sippinonsearoc paced to the half-mile marker in :53.4 and the three-quarter pole in 1:21.2. The son of Downbytheseaside-Queen Ann M was never seriously challenged and soared home to prevail in 1:48.2. Crack Shot (Doug McNair) was second and Captain Arturovico finished third.
Sippinonsearoc was bred by Trent Stohler Stable Inc. and Alesha Binkley. He has won three of nine starts this year for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, R A S Racing LLC, and Knox Services Inc. The colt has a record of 20-9-4-2 and has earned $989,177. He paid $2.44 to win.
Burke's first win of the day came with Winnpanzee (Gingras), who out-sprinted Kentucky champion Aperfect Annie (Todd McCarthy) to score in the second $41,096 Commonwealth Series contest for three-year-old filly trotters. She sat fifth through opening panels of :28.2 and :56.3, came second-over behind Aperfect Annie to three-quarters in 1:24.3, and rolled by her in the stretch to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52.3. Montmartre (Tim Tetrick) was third.
By Gimpanzee, Winnpanzee is the first foal out of Breeders Crown champion Winndevie, who earned $863,257 on the racetrack. The filly established a new lifetime mark with her third win of the season in 10 starts and third of her career in 15. She is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Brad Grant, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. She paid $12.66 to win.
Burke then reached the milestone and completed a triple on the 17-race card as Kimpanzee ($9.98) went all the way in the first Wildcat division for three-year-old filly trotters. Gingras guided the daughter of Gimpanzee-Kadena Reef through :28.3, :57.2, and 1:25.4 fractions, and the filly came home a 1-1/2-length winner in 1:54.2. Come And Gait It (Peter Wrenn) finished second, with Gabanna (Todd McCarthy) third. She is now one-for-nine this season and two-for-16 in her career for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Luna Lovegood (Dexter Dunn) put it all together as she scored her first win of the season in four starts in the sole $109,589 Kentucky Championship Series division for three-year-old filly trotters in 1:53.1. She was the headliner of five winners from the Marcus Melander barn.
Todd McCarthy and Voguish left from the outside in the field of five and set the fractions of :28.4, :56.3 and 1:24.4 while Luna Lovegood sat in the garden spot. Dunn gave his filly her instructions at the top of the lane, and she trotted home for her first win since last November by a neck over R Lady W (Scott Zeron) with Stash Some Cash (Tim Tetrick) completing the triactor.
A daughter of Gimpanzee-Southwind Venus, Luna Lovegood improved her career resume to 14-6-1-1 and her bankroll to $579,165. Her victory came after breaking in each of her first three starts this year. The filly, a half-sister to Miss I LA (Walner, $560,618), was bred by Blue Chip Farms LLC and Stefan Melander. She paid $11.88 to win.
Favoured Kadena (Andrew McCarthy) wired the field in 1:52.3 to win the first division of the Kentucky Commonwealth Series for sophomore trotting fillies by a head over My Honor (Gingras), who was followed by Grand Reserve (Zeron). The victorious sophomore daughter of Gimpanzee and world champion Mission Brief is trained by Melander. She is three-for-six this year for owners Jeffrey Snyder and S R F Stable. She has now collected $215,849 lifetime, and her record is 14-5-3-1. She paid $4.18 to win.
Tony Alagna and Zeron joined forces to take the lone Commonwealth Series dash for three-year-old trotting males with Strangerinthenight in 1:51.1. Boomerang (Todd McCarthy) was second by a length and Making History (Marvin Luna) was third. The winning son of Tall Dark Stranger-Tall Drink Hanover earned his first win of the season in seven tries and second overall from 16 career starts. The colt is owned by Riverview Racing LLC, Brittany Farms LLC, Steven Head, and Pryde Stables Inc. He paid $6.14 to win.
Melander's other three winners came in the Golden Rod and Wildcat series. He teamed up with Dunn to win with Anativenewyorker ($4.98) and Belmont ($3.36) in $20,548 Golden Rod divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies and Molto Grande ($3.42) in a $13,699 Wildcat tilt for the same age, gait, and sex. The trainer has been red-hot this month and is now striking at a 21.2 per cent rate in 2025. He is on pace for his second straight season with more than 100 wins.
The other Golden Rod Series winners were Lafitte (Anibal Borjas, $9.78) and Fusion (Todd McCarthy, $6.72) in the divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, and Caviart Ivy (Niko Karna, $33.22) in the other sophomore filly trot division.
Got Bourbon (Todd McCarthy, $7.08) won the three-year-old pacing male Wildcat Series contest.
(With files from The Red Mile)