May 20, 2026 By John Sacco 6 min read

Out of sight. Out of mind.

That was the plight of harness pacer Rip Tide, who was lent to an Amish man in Ohio by the late Mickey Burke, Sr. a few years ago.

The son of Downbytheseaside was purchased by the Burke Stable, Fredericktown, from the Ohio Select Sale in 2022 for $100,000. It was reported the horse trained down well, and qualified as a winner June 6, 2023, in 1:56.4 by nine lengths. Then he disappeared.

The senior Burke seemingly became weary of Rip Tide not always wanting to pace, to work. In the longtime horseman’s eyes, he thought Rip Tide needed some help.

Apparently, he asked Jonas Yoder to take Rip Tide in and take him up and down the road, miles at a time – teaching him to go forward.

Burke, Sr. died in May 2024.

The stable and the owners in addition to the Burke Racing Stable – Hatfield Stables, and R A Racing, Ohio and Weaver Bruscemi – forgot about Rip Tide and knew nothing of the senior Burke’s deal in Ohio.

Apparently, at the end of 2025, Yoder phoned Mickey Burke, Jr. about coming to get Rip Tide.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke said: “Go get him?”

Lo and behold, 5-year-old Rip Tide has learned how to pace.

After recently winning a conditioned race for non-winners of two races or $17,500 lifetime, Rip Tide had won three straight pari-mutuel races and had won two qualifying races.

“I remember in 2023 being down in Florida and he was one of our better 2-year-olds training down there. Mickey Sr. was training him,” owner Mark Weaver said. It was amazing for a guy in his mid-80s to handle the horse. He seemed like a lot of horse for Mickey.”

“We had high expectations for him at two,” said Mickey Burke, Jr., second trainer for the family stable. “But after a qualifier, the horse just decided he didn’t want to do anything. We couldn’t get him to function on the track. No lameness issues, nothing like that. He just absolutely was not going to go.”

Attempts to reach Yoder by phone were unsuccessful.

“We always knew he had talent,” Weaver said. “We waited a long time and then finally at some point, I guess Mickey made a deal to take him and try to get him to mature.”

More than two and a half years passed from the time the horse was sent to Ohio, until Burke, Jr., received a call in December. “The Amish gentleman knew what the plan was and was expecting to hear from us. When no one ever contacted him, he eventually reached out and found me.”

Burke, Jr., added: “I honestly had completely forgotten about the horse.”

A few months later, Rip Tide won a qualifier at The Meadows in 1:55.4, then won his first pari-mutuel start in 1:54.2, with Mickey Burke, Jr., making a rare driving start.

“I was literally the only person that has trained, schooled, or qualified him since he came back,” Burke, Jr. said.

The last two weeks, Ronnie Wrenn, Jr., was in the bike, but some confusion in the first turn led to Rip Tide going to the front. He cut the half in :54.3 and three-quarters in 1:23.3, before showing some greenness until challenged late. The 5-year-old still won, lowering his lifetime mark to 1:53.4.

Burke, Jr. added that Rip Tide still isn’t the most enthusiastic worker, but his racing talent is obvious.

“He’s still not the most willing participant,” Burke, Jr. said. “We have to tow him to train him, and some days he’ll go and run over the guy in front of him. So far in races, he gets aggressive, but we’re nothing but pleased with him. As long as he’s going forward, we’re happy.

“The horse has all the talent in the world. I mean he was a $100,000 purchase. Ronnie loved him training down, and the qualifier, he was great. He just has an attitude, and he’s still not 100 percent. There are times we go out and train him and he’ll (not give his best).

“But once you get him going, he’s full tilt. He’s never been mean. He’s not kicking. He’s not like that. If he doesn’t want to go, you can do whatever you want and he’s just going to jog. We joke about it, but we’re always a little worried that at some point he could just go, ‘No, I’m not doing this (today).'”

Rip Tide’s unique story took another interesting turn Saturday at The Meadows, losing his first race.

However, in defeat he showed off his speed, blasting from the starting gate and building a significant lead and pacing the second-fastest first quarter of a mile in an ambitious 25.2 seconds – which tied Racing Hill (2016). The fastest first quarter in the history of The Meadows is 25.1 held by Rock And Roll Dance in 2012. The previous marks were in Adios Pace races.

Rip Tides 53-second half mile also is the second fastest in the North Strabane Township track’s history. The fastest half recorded there was in the 2016 Adios when Racing Hill paced in 52.4.

Rip Tide was driven by Brad Burke, Ron’s son. He finished third.

“There were some hiccups,” Burke, Jr. said. “His (ear) plugs came out before the gate. And poor Brad . . . things just didn’t go the way he expected him to. The horse has more speed than Brad (ever) sat behind. He didn’t expect him to get out there like he did. I think he just got a little overwhelmed with how much speed that horse has and just it was the inexperience on both parts.

“I think I must figure out something. I have to make a modification. But again, his plugs were out behind the gate. I wouldn’t even consider that a setback. It was this circumstance. He was going to get beat sooner or later.

“If he keeps his head in the game, he could be a top open horse, maybe in the upper echelon. He looks the part. He shows he has the talent to do it. This is a special case.”