Jerry Kaltenbach honors to Chris Page and Ron Burke

Grove City, OH – For the fourth straight season, harness racing driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke have captured the Kaltenbach titles.

The Jerry Kaltenbach Memorial Trophies were established in 1988 and are awarded annually to the driver and trainer who have earned the most dollars competing in Ohio Sires Stakes (OSS) events in a single season.

It is the seventh Kaltenbach title for Chris Page, who ties David Miller for the most titles won.  Page stared 74 OSS events, winning 23 races, finishing second 15 times, and finishing third eight times, earning $1,442,700.  Last year he had a 20-21-13 record from 95 starts and $1,252,900 in earnings.

Aaron Merriman finished second with 11 wins, 11 seconds, and seven thirds ($812,650) in 70 starts, while Brett Miller who had finished second the past three years, slipped to third.  Miller started 53 races and had a record of 6-7-11 record and $580,200 in earnings.

A total of 45 drivers participated in the 2022 OSS events with 39 garnering at least one purse check.  Fifteen had earnings over $100,000 or more, with 12 amassing earnings over $200,000.

The title was the fifth for Ron Burke who had 112 starts in the 2022 OSS legs, championships, and consolations.  His total money earning from these OSS events were $1,824,100, surpassing his 2021 totals of $1,734,200 in OSS earnings.

Burke finished with 26 wins, 21 seconds, and 14 thirds.

Finishing second was Chris Beaver for the third straight year with $620,400 in earnings with an 8-6-8 record from 67 starts.  Christi Noble finished third for the second straight year.  She had earnings of $403,400 with a record of 3-5-11 in 34 starts.

A total of 94 trainers participated in 2022 OSS events with 18 earning over $100,000 and five with earnings over $250,000.

In the 32 years the Kaltenbach trophies have been awarded, Page and Miller lead all drivers with seven trophies. In the training ranks, Virgil Morgan Jr., has captured the title six times. Only two horsemen have won the Kaltenbach in both the training and driving categories—Sam “Chip” Noble, III and Dave Rankin.

by Frank Fraas, for the OHHA