Burke reaches $300M as trainer
Ron Burke has gone where no harness racing trainer has gone before, and he might stay there by himself for a long time.
Burke, who is the winningest harness racing trainer of all time, is the first to reach the $300 million mark in training earnings.
Sometime Saturday afternoon, Burke surpassed the $300,000,000 mark in trainer earnings. The Hall of Fame trainer said it either happened at The Meadows – his home track – or Miami Valley Gaming, Lebanon, Ohio.
It was reported by DRF Digest that Burke had horses racing at seven different tracks across the country Saturday.
Burke, a native of Fredericktown and a Canonsburg resident, became the first trainer in harness racing history to exceed the $300,000,000 mark in earnings.
The designation and milestone are significant to the low-key Burke, 53.
“It’s one of my proudest achievements,” Burke said. “It means you did it good for a long time. It also means I’m old. I’m proud for our group (Burke Racing Stable). Records come and go. This one I aimed at for five years. This is one I really wanted. I’m happy. I’m proud of our whole group.”
Joining Hall of Fame driver John Campbell in the $300 million in harness earnings also is a meaningful accomplishment. Campbell is widely acknowledged as the greatest driver in harness racing history. He has held the all-time earnings No. 1 spot for nearly 37 years, according to the United States Trotting Association data.
Moira Fanning, of the Hambletonian Society, said Campbell’s earnings exceed $300 million when earnings from a few other countries, including Sweden, are added in.
“That brings special meaning as well,” Burke said.
Burke, along with Jimmy Takter and Erv Miller, are the lone North American-based trainers to have reached nine figures in earnings. He is nearly $170 million ahead of Takter, who is retired.
He is in an elite group of trainers in both harness and Thoroughbred racing to be part of the $300 million club. Only Todd Pletcher, Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert and Bill Mott have achieved that milestone, according to Equibase database.
Burke is the winningest trainer in the history of Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing, with his total of 13,666 at press time.
“Surpassing $300 million in earning has been my greatest goal,” Burke said. “It says a lot.”
He was inducted in the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in July and the Washington-Greene Co. Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in June.
Hall of Fame racing announcer and former voice of The Meadows, Roger Huston, said it is an incredible achievement.
“Who would have ever thought,” Huston said. “When I started in this business 64 years ago, you would never dream of any trainer reaching $300 million in earnings.
“It’s been a natural progression. It’s like (Dave) Palone’s driving wins record, Ron’s record will never be broken.
“It all has its roots at The Meadows. A lot of it has been primarily done at The Meadows. Ron’s has been more national. It’s just a real feather in the cap of western Pennsylvania and the idea of Delvin Miller’s in building The Meadows. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger.”
Burke is the only harness racing trainer to win $20 million in a season. He has been named Dan Patch Award Trainer of the Year three times: 2011, 2013 and 2018.
He trained gelding Bythemissal to an Adios victory last year, the second Adios training victory for the Burke Stable.
Earlier this year, Burke drove his first winner in seven years, when he guided 3-year-old colt trotter Run Yorick to victory March 22 in 2:00.3 at The Meadows.
Snyder’s milestone
Driver Doug Snyder, 71, won his 6,500th career race Wednesday at The Meadows. Snyder rarely drives anymore. He is the track’s former leading driver.