Nov 9, 2022 4 min read

Bythemissal’s work is done for 2022.

The Adios and Little Brown Jug 3-year-old pacing champion has been turned out and will take a couple of months off from racing and head to Kentucky for some much-earned rest.

Meadows-based Bythemissal won the last race of this season this past Friday in the Harrah’s Hoosier Park Grand Circuit’s Monument Circle.

In all, Bythemissal won 13 of 16 races this season with two seconds and a third in the Breeders Crown final a few weeks ago. He finished with earnings of $1,164,688 in 2022 – which makes him the third-highest Standardbred earner this year behind only world champion Bulldog Hanover and fellow 3-year-old pacer Pebble Beach.

“He’s done (for 2022),” said trainer and owner Ron Burke. “He could have had one more race, but he’d have had to race six days after last Friday and I just don’t think he’s as sharp as he was and he needs a break.

“We’re going to get him a year-end physical and then send him to Lexington. I’m not looking at him just for this year. I’m looking at him over the course of the next three years.”

Since Bythemissal is a gelding, his value is on-track. Burke has a three-year plan for Bythemissal and it includes an optimistic outlook for the talented horse.

“He’s the best horse I’ve had over the past three or four years,” Burke said. “He’s at another level.”

Burke thinks if Bythemissal remains healthy, then he has a chance to be the top Standardbred in the industry over the next few years.

“We’re taking no chances with him. It’s why we’re having him checked out. He’s earned a break and some rest.”

Bythemissal is owned by the Burke Racing Stable – Fredericktown – with Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Ron Burke bought into the horse from Good and took over as trainer earlier this year. Bythemissal won his lone race as a 2-year-old.

He finished third to Pebble Beach in the recent Breeders Crown championship race. He didn’t get out of the gate as usual and sat eighth.

“We just didn’t get in position to win the race,” Burke said.

He’s a horse that just knows how to win,” driver Chris Page told the United States Trotting Association after the final race Friday. “I got away close enough and I thought the fractions set up pretty well for me to make a move up the backstretch.

“This horse has never been passed yet in the lane, so I felt pretty confident if I could get him to the lead, he would be tough to beat. I hopped on this horse when he was just winning (in the) non-winners of two (races) this spring. It’s been special to go from there to winning the Jug and the Adios. All the credit goes to Ron and the incredible job he’s done keeping this horse so good all year long.”

In addition to the Little Brown Jug and Adios, Bythemissal’s other big wins were the Milstein Memorial and Ohio Sire Stakes final.

Bythemissal is ranked seventh in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred rankings.

Bendis near top

Randy Bendis has been at The Meadows since 1977 and he’s still going strong.

Bendis is one of the track’s top trainers, and going into Wednesday’s action he was third in wins (68), third in winning percentage (.207), and fourth in purses $640,853.

“It’s been a good year,” Bendis said.

He added that he has a good 2-year-old – American Fling – a New York Sire Stakes winner this year – and has continued to shrink his stable to a manageable number.

“The work is hard,” Bendis said. “When I was younger, I drove and trained and my stable had 50 to 60 horses. I’m trying to keep the stable to around 20 horses. There are ups and downs. I have cut back. The Meadows is on solid footing and our purses are back to pre-COVID (pandemic) levels.”

Influx from Midwest

Track announcer Jeff Zidek said there has been an influx of horses, trainers and drivers from the Midwest in the past few weeks.

“The season ends in the Midwest in mid-September. There are a few other options for fairs in Iowa and Minnesota. For the winter season, they must go elsewhere.

“It’s good for us. It gives (bettors) other horses to consider and makes them pay more attention to each race.”