Buck I St Pat is ready to hit the road
May 19, 2009,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Ken Weingartner Freehold, NJ —
On Wednesday, the 6-year-old trotting mare will head for Sweden, where her target is the prestigious Elitlopp on May 31 at Solvalla Raceway.
“She’s super,” trainer Ron Burke said. “I trained her Saturday. She’ll train one more time over there, and that’s it. I’m going over next Tuesday. I’ll be there to jog her the day before she trains and I’ll be there to train her. As long as everything goes fine with the ship, she’ll have no problem. I can’t see her having any problem; she’s pretty professional.”
Buck I St Pat has won three races in a row since beginning the season with a third-place finish in the opening round of the Classic Series at Dover Downs. Since then, she has won a Preferred Mares event at the Meadowlands in 1:54.1, the second leg of the Classic Series in 1:52.4, and the opening round of the Miss Versatility Series in 1:52.4.
USTA/Ken Weingartner photo
Millionaire Buck I St Pat will be facing the boys in the Elitlopp in Sweden on May 31.
She has won 34 of 60 races and $1.06 million in her career. She was the 2008 Dan Patch Award and Nova Award winner as best older female trotter, winning 10 of 14 races and $411,724 despite seeing her campaign cut short because of a tendon injury.
Tim Tetrick, who has won 11 of 13 career drives behind Buck I St Pat, will be in the sulky for the Elitlopp for owners Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen, and Ron Fuller.
Buck I St Pat will be facing male counterparts in the Elitlopp, although female trotters have had successes against the boys. Moni Maker and Peace Corps, for example, both won the Elitlopp.
“I guess it’s because (trotting) is based on more tactical and useable speed whereas the pace has become a true test of pure speed,” Burke said.
Buck I St Pat is the fastest female trotter in history on a five-eighths-mile track, having won the 2008 Maxie Lee Memorial in 1:52.2 at Harrah’s Chester. The Elitlopp is contested around a five-eighths-mile oval.
Lifetime, Buck I St Pat has won 15 of 23 starts on a five-eighths track, and over her most recent 14 starts on a five-eighths she has never been worse than third.
“The closer we get, the happier I get,” Burke said. “I’m anxious to get over there. I think she’s going to be competitive. I think she has a legitimate chance.”
- Elitlopp simulcast set for Sunday at The Meadowlands (Thursday, May 28, 2009)
Racing fans can watch and wager at The Meadowlands and through New Jersey Account Wagering as Enough Talk and Buck I St Pat compete in Sweden’s famed Elitlopp Sunday morning, May 31.
- Enough Talk can walk the walk (Thursday, May 28, 2009)
This time, Peter Kleinhans need not worry whether Enough Talk has the class to compete with the world’s best trotters. His only concern is Enough Talk’s current form.