Brennan named to drive colt

Trainer Blair Burgess told harnessracing.com Tuesday afternoon that he believes everyone has been making too big a deal out of which driver he might choose to direct Glidemaster in Saturday’s $500,000 Breeders Crown to replace the injured John Campbell. Burgess said he considered driving the 3-year-old colt himself before deciding on George Brennan

“Everybody is making way too much out of the driver. We need to talk about Glidemaster and not a driver,” said Burgess. “I considered driving him myself but I just don’t have enough experience in races like that to deal with the pressure. From what I might have gained in familiarity I would have lost in dealing with the stress. So I decided to not do it.

“So it didn’t matter who I went to as they would be unfamiliar,” he added. “George (Brennan) has been good to me this year and having a good year in general, so I thought it wasn’t a bad choice. He’s been loyal and I wanted to pay back loyalty. Not having John is not good, although George is great and I’ve had a lot of luck with him this year.”

The connections of the elim winners were able to pick their posts, and Burgess chose post two for Glidemaster, who is the even-money morning-line choice. The 6-5 second choice Majestic Son will leave from post four after that slot was chosen by trainer Mark Steacy.

“I just basically wanted to get inside the other horse, and I didn’t think he’d take the one,” explained Burgess. “I don’t think anybody wants the one at Woodbine. The gate is very slow around the turn and goes away from you hard when it comes out of the turn. You really have to push your horse to keep up with the gate.”

Burgess admitted that the Crown final appears to be a two-horse race between Glidemaster and Majestic Son, but he issued a caveat.

“It’s a two-horse race on paper but there are certainly other quality horses in there that could make a race out of it if the other two make any kind of a mistake,” he said. “If anything happens I am sure there are opportunists in there. If mine comes back to the way he raced in the eliminations, he should give a good account of himself.”

Burgess said he had a chance to talk to Campbell, who is recovering in a Toronto-area hospital from the broken tibia in his left leg and awaiting surgery to stabilize the bone this weekend before returning to his home in New Jersey.

“He’s disappointed, sort of like Michael Jordan not being able to play in a seventh game,” said Burgess. “Anything we do now certainly won’t be as much fun without John.”

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