Karl, driven by Yannick Gingras, was at his best Friday night (Oct. 27), winning the $700,000 Breeders Crown for freshman colt and gelding trotters with a track and stakes record 1:51.4 performance at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

The Nancy Takter-trained thunderbolt, a son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious, settled in fourth following the start. Security Protected (Tim Tetrick) got control leaving quickly, followed by second-choice T C I (David Miller), who then rushed to gain the top as the :26.4 first panel was recorded.

Gingras moved Karl to the front in a :56.1 half and reached three-quarters in 1:25.

T C I chased Karl to make it look like a two-trotter race down the lane, but victory was never in doubt for Karl as he drew away to win by three lengths. T C I held for second over Security Protected, with Private Access (Louis-Philippe Roy) fourth.

He knocked one full second off the previous stakes record of 1:52.4, set by On A Streak at Hoosier in 2020. He also shaved three-fifths of a second off Venerate's former freshman male trotting track record of 1:52.2 that was set in the 2020 Breeders Crown eliminations.

The record-setter gave Takter the ninth Breeders Crown winner of her career. 

Christina and Nancy Takter, Black Horse Racing, Crawford Farms Racing and Bender Sweden Inc. own Karl. Bred by Crawford Farms, he was a $135,000 yearling purchase from last year's Lexington Selected Sale.

Karl paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favourite.

With the sterling win, Karl's earnings expanded to $709,760. He has won seven of eight starts, with his only setback coming by a nose to T C I on Oct. 6 at the Red Mile.

Gingras was aglow by the performance.

“He was fine in the hole, but first off, all the credit goes to Nancy,” he said of the colt's trainer. “The horse I had last week wasn't the same horse I had tonight. She changed the shoes, the bit [and] a bunch of things on the horse. She gambled and it paid off. She sent me a video of him yesterday and he looked tremendous.”

Gingras knew he was flying behind Karl.

“He's so fast. He has so many gears,” he said. “I think he's the best horse I've ever sat behind. He has so much ability. I was high on him in the beginning of the year; he's the best two-year-old I have ever driven.”

Gingras said he looks forward to resuming the rivalry between Karl and T C I next year.

“Both trainers are great trainers,” he said about Takter and Ron Burke, who conditions T C I. “His horses come back fast and strong every year. He has shown that for 12 years in a row, so I know [T C I] will come back fine and the battle will be on.”

A replay of this race can be viewed as part of the archived Friday card live stream, available here.

(With files from Breeders Crown)