Harness racing legend Burke Sr. dies at 87
By John Sacco
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
Mickey Burke, Sr. sold a successful car dealership in the 1980s to start his own harness racing stable.
He became one of the great trainers in the industry and eventually the patriarch of the most successful and powerful stables in history.
Burke, Sr., 87, died Monday morning in Astor, Fla.
He is survived by his wife, Sylvia, and five children: Ron, Mickey Jr., Michelle, Melissa and Becky.
A few years ago, Burke, Sr. was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 61st annual awards banquet of the Monticello-Goshen Chapter of USHWA (United States Harness Writers Association) in Middletown, N.Y.
The Lifetime Achievement award is the highest honor of The Monticello-Goshen Chapter, which recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and far-reaching contributions to the harness racing industry.
“Mickey Burke Sr. was truly larger than life and the sport of harness racing will miss him terribly,” said Moira Fanning, chief operating officer, Hambletonian Society. “He had a wonderful, generous personality and an incredible reservoir of horsemanship.
“He restructured the racing stable paradigm and pioneered many methods that are now standard. He and Sylvia paved the way for the enormous success of the Burke Racing Stable (Fredericktown) of the future and I know having (done so) they loved having all the family involved in that success. On a personal note, I loved running into him as he was always a joy to talk to, with a wealth of great stories. He was a publicist’s dream.”
In 2021, Mickey and Sylvia Burke were selected as the 36th Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame honorees by the Delaware County Fair.
The Burkes have had three Little Brown Jug champions – Filibuster Hanover (2017), Limelight Beach (2014) and Bythemissal (2022) – and four Jugette queens – Warrawee Ubeaut (2019), Sassa Hanover (2015), Darena Hanover (2012) and Western Graduate (2007).
Burke Sr., a former Canonsburg resident, started driving harness horses as a hobby in 1956, campaigning the fair circuits of Ohio and Pennsylvania, while operating a successful car dealership in Western Pennsylvania for several decades.
Between 1991 and 2008, he was credited with 3,167 training wins and $35.5 million in earnings.
“He was a great trainer and a better father,” said his son Ron.
In 2009, Burke, Sr. turned his training empire operation over to his sons, Ron and Mickey, Jr. and his daughter Michelle.
Burke, Sr. trained Adios champion May June Character in 2007, the first of three Burke Stable champions. The other Burke Stable Adios champions are Dorsoduro Hanover (2018) and Bythemissal (2022), both trained by Ron Burke.
“Mickey Burke’s story is unbelievable,” said Roger Huston, longtime “voice” at The Meadows. “Building that stable into what it is today couldn’t have been predicted.”
When he received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Burke, Sr. said: “This has been something as a family we have worked very hard at doing successfully. Harness racing can be hard. It takes a lot of work. We have been blessed to be successful with it.”