HARRISBURG PA – Weaver-Bruscemi/Burke – the amalgam of Weaver-Bruscemi LLC (Mark Weaver and Mike Bruscemi) and Burke Racing Stable LLC (Weaver-Bruscemi along with Burke family matriarch Sylvia) – did well at the Dan Patch Awards announced earlier this week by the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA), and now they have established a breeding operation, largely made up of former racehorse stars, that has risen enough to to be honored with Dan Patch Breeder Awards.
Weaver-Bruscemi/Burke bred the $6,555,777 winners themselves in 2025 and ranked fifth among all breeders with just 74 starters – quite rapid growth – and as usual, often in combination with partners such as Phil Collura, Lawrence Karr and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, they appear in the breeding records of stars such as Louprint, Loua Dipa, Al Papi, Looksgoodinloulou and Melillo. This success on the track earned Weaver-Bruscemi/Burke the Dan Patch Breeder of the Year Award.
Three of the five horses mentioned above have the word ‘Lou’ in their names, which gives a pretty good indication as to why Dear Lou was named Pacing Sire of the Year in 2025, after winning the honor last year with Bettor’s Delight and immediately winning the first prizes of 2023 with his gait. Sweet Lou, a son of Yankee Cruiser out of Sweet Future, bred by Birnam Wood Farms, was purchased by Burke/Weaver-Bruscemi, Collura and Karr, was a champion racehorse and earned nearly $3.5 million, and is now managed by the Sweet Lou Syndicate. Sweet Lou is a “dual-hemisphere” stallion, stands “Stateside” at Diamond Creek Farm in Pennsylvania and also goes to New Zealand for service at Woodlands Stud.
In 2025, at the time of writing Dear Lou led all studs on the all-ages money-winning list with nearly $18.4 million. He also placed second in the 2YO rankings and fourth in the 3YO rankings. Louprint and Loua Dipa are, as mentioned, descendants of his who are favored to win their division’s Dan Patch Awards (to be announced on Sunday at about noon on the Harrah’s Philadelphia simulcast, and the releases will be emailed immediately afterwards.)
Chapter seven also repeated his success as 2024 Trotting Sire of the Year. A son of Windsong’s Legacy – La Riviera Lindy, bred by Richard Banca, he was originally purchased by Gary Cocco and Richard Gutnick, who joined Southwind Farms and J&T Silva Stables as owners until he was syndicated to stud under Chapter Seven Syndicate. He is now at Blue Chip Farms.
For the second year in a row Chapter seven posted a “clean sweep” of the major trotting sire money titles, with his all-age earnings of $14.2 million, and also led the 2YO ($4.5 million) and 3YO ($6.6 million) ranks. His second-year Super Chapter won $1,236,099 and the Yonkers Trot, Beal and Empire Breeders Classic, and his 2YO Spencer Hanover was successful in both his Breeders Crown elimination and the championship.
The Pacing Broodmare of the Year, Looksgoodinaromper, is another success for the Burke/Weaver-Bruscemi crew. A daughter of Pet Rock – Don’t Blame Me, bred by Robert and Barbara Bongiorno, B/WB acquired her early in her two-year-old season and won her $300,000 Ohio Sire Stakes Championship for them that year.
In 2025, two of Looksgoodinaromper’s female offspring performed strongly to help her earn the title: division champion Loua Dipa ($827,028) and Kentucky program champion Looksgoodinloulou ($381,262 – ’25). No extra points for guessing who their father was.
The Trotting Broodmare of the Year, Mission Brief, is a daughter of Muscle Hill – Southwind Serena. She was bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm and Andrea Lea Racing Stables Inc., and was purchased prior to her broodmare career by Mission Brief Syndicate, of which Stewart is a corresponding officer. During her racing career, Mission Brief showed tremendous speed and courage while earning $1,599,587. (And yes, she was campaigned by the Burke Brigade during her two years of racing.)
In 2025, Mission Brief gave us Apex (Walner), a highly ranked freshman colt who earned $871,798, won the Mohawk Million and is the early favorite for his own Dan Patch Award. Two other winners of Mission Brief were Kadena (which sold for $1.2 million last month) and Vic Zelenskyy.
The award winners listed above will be recognized at the 2026 Dan Patch Awards Banquet presented by Caesars Entertainment, which will honor the best of the best in harness racing, both human and equine. The banquet will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida. Sponsor information for the banquet can be obtained from Shawn Wiles at [email protected]; You can advertise in the souvenir journal via Kim Rinker [email protected]; tickets via Judy Davis-Wilson, [email protected]; for room reservations, click here hotellink. More information about the banquet and associated USHWA meetings that weekend will be available soon at www.usharnesswriters.com.
The United States Harness Writers Association is the leading group of communicators on the Standardbred horse field. USHWA conducts the official annual voting for the sport’s most prestigious honors: induction into the Hall of Fame and Communicators Hall of Fame, along with the selection of the Horse of the Year, Trotter and Pacer of the Year, and each season’s leading division horses. Each year, USHWA hosts the Dan Patch Awards Banquet, honoring the best and brightest performers in North American harness racing. This banquet is the association’s primary source of funding, and with generous financial support from the harness racing and breeding industries, USHWA is able to host the banquet in a world-class manner in a world-class facility.
From the Harness Writers Association of the United States
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