Tetrick named to drive world-champion mare in Sweden

Trainer Ron Burke told harnessracing.com Thursday afternoon that an offer from Solvalla officials to race Buck I St. Pat in the Elitlopp the last weekend of May has been accepted and that Tim Tetrick has already agreed to also head to Sweden to drive the 6-year-old trotting mare.

“It took two seconds (to accept the invitation),” said Burke with a laugh. “We already pretty much knew if we were invited we were going. I think everybody realized it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so we might as well go ahead and go.

“And (Tetrick’s) excited about it too,” he added. “It will be something neat for all of us to go over there and see how it is.

Buck I St. Pat’s owners, Howard Taylor, Ed Gold, Abraham Basen and Ron Fuller, also received an Elitlopp invitation last year but after first accepting they changed their minds and decided to keep her in the U.S. Buck I St. Pat won 10 of 14 starts and was later voted the Dan Patch Award as the Older Mare Trotter of the Year, but her season ended in July after she won the Perretti Matchmaker at the Meadowlands due to a tendon injury.

“We backed out (last year) and I think they regretted it,” said Burke. “The plan all along this year was to get her ready and have her sharp enough to get invited again.”

Burke said the millionairess Buck I St. Pat, who finished third in her first start of the year and then posted a 1:54.1 win at the Meadowlands April 17 in her second attempt, will make her next start in the upcoming second leg of the Classic Series at the Meadowlands May 1. Up next would be the Cutler elims and final before he sends his charge to Sweden on May 19 to prepare for the May 31 double-heat contest.

“It would work out better if there were no (Cutler) eliminations needed because I’d rather race her twice than three times before we go,” said Burke.

Burke added he’s already solicited some advice from trainer Jimmy Takter, who won the 1998 Elitlopp with the great trotting mare Moni Maker.

“I talked to Jimmy about the shoeing and he’s going to help us that way in what works best over there,” said Burke. “He said to use his 20 years of mistakes to jump right to the head of the line.”

Buck I St. Pat is the second North American entry scheduled to race in the Elitlopp. Earlier this month, trainer and co-owner Peter Kleinhans announced he was sending the sport’s only sub-1:50 trotter, Enough Talk, to Sweden for her second straight appearance in the trotting classic. Last year Enough Talk finished second in his elim before finishing third in the final.

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