Horse racing

Ron Burke in search of elusive Adios title at Meadows.

In his seven years as a head trainer, one title has eluded Ron Burke.

Regarded by many as the leading trainer in harness racing, Burke, 45, has trained horses who have amassed about $135 million in prize money — becoming the first trainer to break the $100 million mark a year ago. But this Canonsburg native has yet to win the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids at The Meadows Casino Racetrack — a race he has attended since he was 12 at a track that is about 10 minutes from his house.

This year, he has three times the chance.

The $400,000 Adios final at 4 p.m. today will feature three of Burke’s about 270 horses he trains at six stables in four states — Yankee Bounty from post No. 1, Cooperstown from No. 4 and My Hero Ron from No. 7.

Burke’s father, Mickey Burke, won the Adios with his son as an assistant in 2007. And while having a one-two-three finish as a head trainer would be an amazing accomplishment, Ron Burke said he isn’t expecting that much.

“I just want to win,” he said. “If I can get the win, I won’t worry about the other two.”

Burke said his best horse in the race is My Hero Ron, whom he bought about six weeks ago since the two share a name. He said his horse, along with early favorite Dude’s The Man from post No. 2 and Lost For Words from No. 6, should be the front-runners.

“He’s the biggest, strongest horse of my three and maybe is the one that’s rounding into form the best,” Burke said.

Cooperstown, Burke’s horse with the best post position of No. 3, has sentimental value for Burke. His family has had him since he was a foal, having bought him also based on name since his sons played youth baseball in Cooperstown tournaments. Burke called Cooperstown the biggest surprise of the Adios elimination rounds and said he has the next-best chance to win after the top three contenders.

Norm Parker, 54 of Houston, Washington County, is the only other local trainer with a horse in the final — Angelo J Fra will leave from post No. 8. He said racing against Burke is a Davidand-Goliath situation. But for Parker, who has trained at The Meadows since starting his career in the late 1970s, competing in his first Adios final is special .

“It’s maybe not our World Series or our Stanley Cup, but for me as a trainer, it sort of is,” Parker said. “That’s always the goal.”