Now that’s a streak: Palone is track’s winningest driver for 37th consecutive year
By John Sacco
Contributing Writer
Some things never change.
For the 37th consecutive season, Hall of Fame driver Dave Palone has won the dash championship at The Meadows.
“That’s crazy,” Palone said. “I had no idea it was that long. I guess I can tell my wife that.”
Palone, who posted 415 victories in 2025, besting runner-up Ronnie Wrenn Jr. (341), started his streak in 1989 when he took the title from Doug Snyder, 319-191.
Snyder had won five consecutive titles before Palone’s 1989 performance. Palone, the winningest driver in North American harness racing history, began his career in 1982 – 44 years ago.
Palone also was tops in winning percentage at 26.4 percent and UDRS at .410 this season. He was second with earnings of $3.44 million compared with Wrenn’s $3.49 million.
Palone said he thought about “quitting” in March in the wake of the tragic on-track accident that claimed the life of driver Hunter Myers.
“I thought a lot of him,” Palone said. “He was committed, interested in learning and such a good kid. I was helping him work on his golf swing before that race. And then he was gone. It made a huge impact on me. Hunter was a rising star.”
Palone, 63, enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2025 and it was capped off when he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in October, only the second harness racing individual (Delvin Miller is the other) to be inducted into the state Hall of Fame.
Aaron Merriman (300); Jeremy Indof (153) and Mike Wilder (129) round out the five winningest drivers at the North Strabane Township track in 2025.
Dan Patch winners
Repeat winner Louprint, aged male trotter Lexus Kody, and 2-year-old Loua Dipa – all trained by Ron Burke, Canonsburg – were named divisional winners of the annual Dan Patch Awards in voting conducted by the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
Louprint, a 3-year-old pacer, became the seventh male pacer this century to receive a Dan Patch Award at ages 2 and 3.
Louprint won 10 races and finished second once in 12 starts, earning $1.02 million despite being sidelined for several weeks during the summer. His victories included two Grade 1 stakes, the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug, and his 1:46 3/5 triumph in a division of the Tattersalls Pace (G2) was the season’s fastest mile by a 3-year-old pacer and second fastest overall by a pacer, behind only Ervin Hanover’s 1:46.2 mark.
Seven-year-old male trotter Lexus Kody earned $1.31 million in 2025, a total that ranks No. 2 all time for North American purses for an older trotter. Its top wins: included $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot; $459,900 Maple Leaf; $350,000 FanDuel Open Trot Championship and the $250,000 Dayton Trotting Derby.
Wrenn, who drove Louprint, was also the primary driver for Loua Dipa’s 13 races. The filly hit the board 12 times, winning nine starts and earning $827,028. She won two Grade 1 stakes – the Breeders Crown and She’s A Great Lady – and her 1:48 victory in a division of the International Stallion Stakes (G3) made her the fastest 2-year-old female pacer in history. The daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper was bred by owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi as was Louprint.
It was previously announced that Burke is Trainer of the Year, and the partnership of Weaver Bruscemi LLC (Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi) and Burke Racing Stable LLC, Fredericktown, (Weaver Bruscemi LLC in combination of Burke family matriarch Sylvia) are Owners of the Year.
The group’s breeding operations will be honored with the Breeder Award as well.
Burke/Weaver Bruscemi have often brought in ownership partners and three of the four top money-earners including partnerships behind them are frequently in the owners’ ranks teaming with: Knox Services Inc., Phillip Collura, Lawrence Karr, J&T Silvis- Purnel & Libby.
The 12 divisional champions and other award winners will be honored during the Dan Patch Awards banquet, presented by Caesars Entertainment, at Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 22, 2026. Pacer of the Year, Trotter of the Year and Horse of the Year will be announced at the banquet.
Down the stretch
Parimutuel racing for the 2026 season at The Meadows will begin Wednesday with action four days a week – Wednesday through Saturday – at 12:45 p.m. daily throughout the month.
NOTE: Jeff Zidek, The Meadows track announcer and Hall of Fame announcer Roger Huston contributed to this story.