Hightstown, NJ — Harness racing trainer Ron Burke saw his stable surpass $20 million in purses for the sixth consecutive year when Sonnet Grace won the Goldsmith Maid Stakes for 2-year-old female trotters over the weekend at The Meadowlands.
The 49-year-old Burke is the only trainer in harness racing history to ever reach $20 million in a year. His stable earned a record $28.4 million in 2014.
This season Burke’s stable leads the sport in both purses, with $20.2 million, and wins, with 917. No other trainer has won more than 344 races or $8.56 million. It will be Burke’s 10th consecutive year at the top of both categories.
Burke has exceeded 900 wins five times in his career, including a record 1,093 victories in 2014.
For his career, Burke has won a record 9,369 races and a record $211 million in purses.