Ron Burke sends out 12,000th winner

Ron Burke, North America’s winningest trainer in the sport of harness racing, has reached a new milestone.

Burke celebrated his 12,000th career win on Sunday (Sept. 19) when undefeated two-year-old pacing filly Sea Silk won her $67,185 division of the Ohio Breeders Championship at Delaware County Fairgrounds in a 1:53.1 stakes and track record-equalling performance.

Burke pushed his career win count to 12,003 on Sunday with five victories in total on the day at tracks across the U.S., including The Red Mile in Kentucky, Ohio’s Delaware County Fairgrounds, The Downs at Mohegan Sun in Pennsylvania and Northfield Park in Ohio.

He leads all trainers in North America for lifetime victories by an incredible margin of more than 5,000 wins. Virgil Morgan Jr. ranks second with 6,923 wins.

Burke’s stable has earned 675 of those wins this year and more than $14.8 million in purses. Lifetime, his trainees have earned more than $268.5 million.

From the USTA