How Are The Top 25 Trainers Faring As Compared With This Point In 2015?

Here’s a look at how the top trainers are faring as we approach the last quarter of the year. I compared their stats for this past Monday, September 19, and those for September 19 2015.

Number one Ron Burke has made 165 (5%) fewer starts than a year ago; his win total is down by 67 (10%); he’s short more than $2 million (12%). His UTRS dropped from 0.338 to 0.321.

Second place Jimmy Takter has made 11 more starts, accounting for nine fewer wins. His earnings are off by more than $782,000, or 10%.

Rene Allard, who unlike Burke and Takter, doesn’t have a very big footprint on the Grand Circuit, has made 25% more starts this year (381). For all that extra activity he only shows 7 more wins, and his money has dropped by 10%--almost $430,000. Rene’s UTRS dropped from 0.396 to 0.336. So the top three, who were slotted the same in September 2015, are all at least 10% poorer in 2016.

Number four Tony Alagna was at seven a year ago. His win total is exactly the same, despite making 78 fewer starts. His earnings have jumped by 19%, or almost $679,000. Tony’s UTRS rose from 0.334 to 0.380.

Ake Svanstedt moved up from number 12 a year ago to number five. He made 16% more starts, won 14% more races, and earned 28% more money (almost $775,000) since Sept 19 of last year.

Erv Miller moved up from ten to six. He won six more races in 99 fewer starts. His money is up 14%, or about $366,000. His UTRS rose from 0.287 to 0.319.

Linda Toscano jumped from 11 a year ago to number 7. She made 16% more starts (91), won 10% more races and earned 18% more money--$462,000. Her UTRS dropped from 0.343 to 0.321.

Julie Miller is at number eight, the same place she was last year. She made 12% fewer starts and won 9% fewer races. Her earnings are off by 10%. Miller’s UTRS rose from 0.321 to 0.357.

Chris Oakes moves up from 17 a year ago to number nine. His starts are up by 37%; he won 35% more races; and his earnings jumped by 31%--more than $745,000. His UTRS rose from an already heady 0.405 to an other-worldly 0.448.

Richard Moreau is at number ten, up from 14 last September. He made 89 more starts (9%), and that generated only two more wins, but the WEG leader saw his earnings increase by $388,000, or 17%.

Jeff Bamond, whose top pacing mares have all abandoned him at once, except for Krispy Apple, dropped from number four to eleven. His starts are up by 10%, but he only shows five more wins and is short $1.1 million, or 33%. Jeff’s UTRS dropped from 0.321 to 0.312.

Gilbert Garcia-Herrera dropped from five to twelve. His starts are down by 12%; his win total is off by 36%; and his money is off by 35%. Gilbert’s UTRS dropped from 0.310 to 0.250.

Richard Banca has moved up from 19 to 13. His starts are up by 31%, while his win total stepped up 12%. Banca’s earnings jumped 23%. His UTRS dropped from 0.352 to 0.302.

Brian Brown dropped from nine to 14. His starts, wins and money are off by 8%, 14% and 20%, respectively. And his UTRS fell from 0.380 to 0.344.

Jim Dailey flew all the way from number 49 to number 15. His starts and wins are only up by 4% each, but his money rose by $780,000, or 44%.

Casie Coleman climbed from number 30 to 16 on the strength of 27% more money generated in 39% fewer starts. The trainer of Jug winner Betting Line only won one more race than she did a year ago to this point. Her UTRS rose from 0.315 to o.433.

Number 17 Thomas Milici wasn’t on the top 50 list a year ago. The sixty-year-old wunderkind has already chalked up 66% more starts than he made in all of 2015. Both his win and earnings totals are up by a mind blowing 82%.

Chris Beaver stepped up 18 spots to number 18. He has made 32% more starts, leading to 38% more wins and 30% more money.

Dylan Davis is another shooting star. He failed to make the top 50 a year ago but is currently at number 19. He has made 5% more starts than in all of 2015. He has just as many wins and his money is up 23% over all of last year.

John Butenschoen, who has several promising freshmen, jumped from 32 to 20. His starts are up by 9%, resulting in only 5 more wins, but his earnings have increased by $374,000, or 23%.

Tony O’Sullivan fell from 15 to 21. His starts are down by 149, or 27%. He has 19 fewer wins and has banked 15% less money.

Ohio trainer Virgil Morgan Jr dropped all the way from number six a year ago to 22. He has made 26% fewer starts, won 39% fewer races and earned 46% less money—that’s $1.3 million less.

Wiggle it Jiggleit’s trainer Clyde Francis is at 23. He was number 22 a year ago. He has made 65% more starts than he had to this point last year, but that still adds up to less than 100. Francis has 38 wins, as opposed to 18 at this point in 2015. His earnings are up 5%.

Carmen Auciello dropped from 16 to 24. He has made 18% fewer starts, won 16% fewer races and banked 14% less money.

Number 25 is Steve Elliott, down from 13 last September. His starts are down 10% and his wins are off by 12%. Elliott has earned about $562,000 less than last year. That amounts to a 28% drop.

Joe FitzGerald