by John Zimich, publicity director, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Ron Burke, North America’s leading trainer in both wins and earnings, will have five entries in the four $200,000 Pennsylvania Championship Finals for 3-year-olds on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 12) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Chris Gooden photo

Ginger And Fred leads the field in the PASS final for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

And he feels his best shot of winning one of the four finals is with 3-year-old Real Artist pacing filly Ginger And Fred, a winner of six of 11 starts this season and more than $364,000 in earnings.

“Ginger is the class of the Pennsylvania Championship Finals,” said Burke. “She could go 1:50 and I feel none of the others in the race could match that. If that doesn’t happen she could let the others contend. I don’t mind having the seven post in the race.”

Dave Palone, who recently was elected into the sport’s Living Hall of Fame, will be driving Ginger And Fred. Burke also has My Lady Bonnard starting in the 3-year-old filly championship race, drawing the four hole.

“Lady Bonnard has lost her sharpness and is coming off her two worst starts of the season. We’ve tried changing a few things but haven’t seen dramatic improvement. I’d be looking for a check with her,” added Burke, who has won 552 races in 2009 in 2,285 starts and more than $9.8 million in purses.

In the $200,000 trot race for colts and geldings, he’ll have Salutation Hanover leaving from the seven post. He felt that his trotter is very consistent on the racetrack but needed to draw inside for a chance to win this race.

“The trot race, however, appears to have a pretty evenly matched field with Caviar Crown, Triumphant Caviar, Citation Lindy and And Heez Perfect,” Burke further offered.

The $200,000 3-year-old colt and gelding pace will have two coupled Burke entries, No. 1A Dan Carter and No. 1 Astounding Hanover. Dan Carter, with Dave Palone, will have to overcome the seven post while Astounding Hanover (Yannick Gingras) will leave from the four hole.

“Dan Carter is very consistent and is back on his normal schedule,” Burke said. “He’s very good and I’m pretty sure we’ll be on the front end in this race. My horse loves the racing surface at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Astounding Hanover is a closer. I also feel pretty good about our chances in this race, too.”

Burke won’t be on hand for the Pennsylvania Championship Finals. He’ll be in Indiana where he will have horses in nine Indiana Sire Stakes finals.

“My New Jersey crew can handle the horses at Pocono Downs but it’s too much for my guys out in Indiana,” he concluded.