The second night of Breeders Crown eliminations included more record performances as the finalists were determined for the three-year-old and open divisions on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Scioto Downs.

Sangria Summer Sets Scioto Record For Sophomore Pacing Fillies

Sangria Summer posted a new track record for three-year-old pacing fillies, winning the second $35,211 Breeders Crown elimination for the division and final event of the night. Driven by James MacDonald for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination of Montreal, Que., the Captaintreacherous-Shower Play filly won in 1:49.3 by two lengths.

Topville Lucky (Todd McCarthy) fired to the early lead while MacDonald guided Sangria Summer into second ahead of inside starter Shes A Bulldog (Yannick Gingras) during the :27.1 opening panel. Sangria Summer then took over command in front of the grandstand and led the way through fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.4 unchallenged as a first-up Perfect Thought (Anthony MacDonald) stalled on the rim in third, prompting favoured Miss Jum Jabber (Andy McCarthy) three-wide off the fading cover while Shes A Bulldog snuck out to her inside. However, Sangria Summer easily held off both Shes A Bulldog and Miss Jum Jabber, with Topville Lucky taking fourth. Say Goodnight (Tyler Buter) was fifth.

“What she showed at two, we thought we’d be a good Sire Stakes filly, and she’s better than we originally thought,” said Blais. “She’s healthy and an easy keeper who looks out for herself and is very professional.”

Sangria Summer has earned eight of her nine career wins during her sophomore season and went over $700,000 in earnings in her 25th career start. She was a winner in the Grade 1 James Lynch Memorial and Grade 3 Shady Daisy earlier this year and came into the Breeders Crown elimination fresh off her triumph in the Grade 3 Courageous Lady at Northfield Park.

Sangria Summer paid $4.40 to win as the 6-5 second choice.

The filly was bred by Tara Hills Stud, Rene Dion, Susie Kerwood and Martin Leveillee.

Hope Hill jogged to victory in the first elimination for three-year-old pacing fillies earlier in the night. The daughter of Papi Rob Hanover-Ruth Hill was guided by Dexter Dunn to her third straight victory in stakes action for trainer Petter Engblom, stopping the timer in 1:50 as the 1-2 choice.

Darlins Angel (Lauren Tritton) cleared Whoomp (John De Long) before a parked-out Hope Hill took over in front of the grandstand past the :26.4 opening panel. Whoomp then went first-up heading into the second turn as Hope Hill rated a half in :55.1, with pressuring mounting to three-quarters in 1:23.1. However, Hope Hill sprinted clear in the straightaway to win by one length with Whoomp to her outside edging Darlins Angel up the inside in a photo for place. A Clean Deal (Doug McNair) rallied from second-over to finish fourth.

Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont. owns the homebred filly, who has career earnings of more than $700,000 and a 12-for-24 lifetime record. 

She came into the elimination fresh off victories in the graded Glen Garnsey Memorial and Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile.

Post positions were drawn for the $664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace (Grade 1) following the eliminations, with the winners drawing for protected posts one through six. The field is listed below.

$664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Elimination Driver - Trainer
1. Sangria Summer - James MacDonald - Luc Blais
2. Whoomp - John DeLong - Roger Welch
3. Hope Hill - Dexter Dunner - Petter Engblom
4. Say Goodnight - Tyler Buter - Nicholas Devita
5. A Clean Deal - Doug McNair - Kyle Fellows
6. Darlins Angel - Lauren Tritton - Juan Cano
7. Shes A Bulldog - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Miss Jum Jabber - Andrew McCarthy - Brett Pelling
9. Topville Lucky - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris

Record-Setting Gentlemans Club Upsets In Breeders Crown Glamour Boy Eliminations

Sent off at 26-1, Gentlemans Club sustained a first-over grind for a half-mile to overpower 2025 Breeders Crown champion Beau Jangles in a divisional track record 1:48.3 in the first of two $35,211 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace eliminations.

In line to Andy McCarthy, Gentlemans Club eased off an early skirmish that saw Al Papi (Yannick Gingras) push clear of favoured Little Brown Jug winner Redland Rocket Man (Jody Jamieson) on the first turn as Beau Jangles (James MacDonald) stalked from third after pressing at the pegs. Redland Rocket Man angled off the pegs to take charge from Al Papi at the end of a :26.1 first quarter before yielding to Beau Jangles, who brushed from third, with just under a circuit to go. As Beau Jangles hit the half-mile pole in :54.2, McCarthy tugged the right line on Gentlemans Club, who began his first-over ascent up the backstretch.

With three-eighths remaining, Gentlemans Club had worked from midfield to within a length of Beau Jangles and he turned up the pressure in earnest to the 1:21.4 three-quarters while Redland Rocket Man began to gap the pocket and Funky Buddha (Tim Tetrick) overtook him for third. Gentlemans Club surged clear of Beau Jangles with a sixteenth to go, and the Downbytheseaside-See You At Peelers colt sped home to cap his 10th career win with a :26.3 closing quarter.

Sweet Lovin Lou (Scott Zeron) fanned four-wide off the home turn and rallied to nab Funky Buddha for second, three-quarters of a length back. Al Papi split foes out of traffic to save fourth over the weakening Beau Jangles.

Redland Rocket Man, who was sent off the 1-5 favourite, faded to finish last in the seven-horse field.

"He's come back terrific, his attitude's amazing and he loves to do what he's doing," said Aaron Lambert, who trains the Fred Hertrich III-bred Gentlemans Club for Australian owner Anthony LiCastro. "When they mixed it up like that, I knew Andy was probably going to have to come first-up. He carried his speed and kept going, and that was it."

Gentlemans Club, who has earned nearly $700,000 in 22 career starts, paid $54.60 for the upset win.

Another odds-on favourite tasted defeat in the second elimination after 5-1 second choice Melillo seized early control and evaded 1-9 choice Brandon Blvd by 1-1/2 lengths for a 1:49.3 score.

Ronnie Wrenn Jr. pushed forward with the Ron Burke-trained Melillo to clear inside leaver Fragment (Jason Bartlett) before completing a :26.4 first quarter. The Sweet Lou-Rosemary Rose colt stole the race in a :29.3 stroll through the second sectional, which set up for a monstrous back half.

With stablemate Be Sting (Yannick Gingras) offering a first-over challenge and Brandon Blvd (Dexter Dunn) stalking second-over, Melillo accelerated through a :26.2 third quarter, hitting that mark in 1:22.4. As Be Sting faded through the far turn, Brandon Blvd was forced to circle three-wide yet still posed the main threat to Melillo in the final furlong. 

Undeterred, Melillo held his ground and kept the Meadowlands Pace winner at bay for the victory. Fragment finished third despite lacking late kick from the pocket. Cooperstown Boy (Doug McNair) was an even fourth over North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba (Peter Wrenn).

"I thought I might push forward a little bit and I thought Dex might follow me to the lead, but he decided to sit fourth," said Wrenn. "After the breather in the second quarter, my horse raced great. I was happy with him."

Melillo, a millionaire colt who has won eight of his 32 career starts, races as a homebred for Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Jason Melillo of Powell, Ohio and Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

He returned $13.40 to win.

The top four finishers from each elimination qualified for next week's final, as did Odds On Mr Mamba by virtue of being the fifth-place finisher with the higher seasonal earnings. Elimination winners Gentlemens Club and Melillo are guaranteed to draw post positions between one and six inclusive.

The post position draw for the $664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace (Grade 1) will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 20 during a press conference at Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Ohio. The finalists are listed below in alphabetical order.

• Al Papi
• Brandon Blvd
• Cooperstown Boy
• Fragment
• Funky Buddha
• Gentlemans Club
• Melillo
• Odds On Mr Mamba
• Sweet Lovin Lou

Sophomore Filly Trotter Nezuko Kamado S Sizzles In Track Record Performance

Hambletonian Oaks winner Nezuko Kamado S persisted with a first-over grind and staved off late pursuers to take the first of three $35,211 Breeders Crown eliminations for three-year-old trotting fillies in a divisional track record 1:51.2 mile. 

Driver Scott Zeron eased Nezuko Kamado S out of post three into fourth behind a three-wide brawl for the lead between Madam Cheval (Tim Tetrick), Southwind Chaska (Dexter Dunn) and Isabella Bi (Ake Svanstedt). Isabella Bi took back to third and Southwind Chaska yielded into the pocket, leaving Madam Cheval to cut a :27.1 first quarter and then a :55.2 half with no challengers looming. 

Zeron angled Nezuko Kamado S off the pylons into the backstretch and steadily advanced on Madam Cheval heading to three-quarters in 1:23.1 before thrusting to the lead upon straightening for the finish. Nezuko Kamado S extended for the finish and clinched the win by a nose as Custom (Jason Bartlett) bolted from last down the center of the track to settle for second. Southwind Chaska held the last berth into the final in third.

“I thought I’d be first-up no matter how I shook that race,” said Zeron after the race, “and I was very happy with even being first-up, just giving her every chance to win. The only thing I didn’t want to do was rush her really, really hard the first two steps out of the gate. Timmy’s horse [Madam Cheval] was giving a hell of a run in the last turn and I was still labouring off of him. And then when his started to tire a little bit, it gave mine that second wind to just dig on by and she felt good up there. Hats off to Jason’s horse [Custom], she raced phenomenal from behind.”

Marcus Melander trains Nezuko Kamado S for owner/breeder Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida. The millionaire Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT filly has now won 13 races from 22 starts in her career.

She paid $3.80 to win as the bettors' choice.

Supplemental entry Little Road and driver Brady Brown ripped from a pocket trip to a 1:53.3 victory in the second Breeders Crown elimination for sophomore trotting fillies.

Brown asserted his charge from the pylon draw and clicked past a :28.1 first quarter before Victorianas Secret (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) ranged forward out of third to grab the lead. Little Road drafted comfortably behind the 7-5 favourite to a :57 half but lost ground in the backstretch once the tempo quickened with Setyoursightshigh (Dexter Dunn) blitzing the leader out of fourth.

Setyoursightshigh reached Victorianas Secret’s throat past three-quarters in 1:26.1 and kept pressing the leader through the turn while Little Road waited for the open stretch. Brown dove his charge inside in the lane and Little Road surged by her rivals late to score a half-length win over Setyoursightshigh while Victorianas Secret held third.

A homebred filly for trainer Roger Hammer by Fordham Road out of A Little Laid Back, Little Road was supplemented for $72,000 USD to the Breeders Crown after a sophomore campaign in which she’s earned more than $400,000 and won the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final in early September.

“She made the money this year and it was the first horse that I raised to have a shot at the Breeders Crown,” said Hammer after the race. “I wanted to give her a shot. She doesn't like the passing lane that well. She's better when you pull her to the outside and come with her, but I figured with where she's sitting I'm into the final, if nothing happens. It'd mean a lot [to win a Breeders Crown].

"This week, she'll go home tonight and she'll train lightly on Thursday,” Hammer also said, “then come back out on Saturday for the retention barn. I hope she's ready again.”

Little Road has now won 16 races from 25 starts and earned more than $500,000 in her career.

Sent postward as the 7-2 third choice in the field, she paid $9.40 to win.

Kentucky Filly Futurity champion Shes Moni hauled from the outermost draw in the third elimination and held her ground for a 1:53.2 win.

Driver Yannick Gingras hustled his charge to seize command from Carve (Andy McCarthy) passing a :28 first quarter and immediately hit the brakes to steal a breather to a :58 half. Shes Moni gradually accelerated in the backstretch and readied for an attack once Busy Miss Lissy S (Dexter Dunn) tipped out of fourth to march up the rim. 

Shes Moni continued to cruise towards three-quarters in 1:26.1 but endured an unrelenting bid from Busy Miss Lissy S coming for home, and she managed to keep that rival at bay by a neck to the finish. Defending Breeders Crown champion Storybook Love (Todd Ratchford) zipped up the open stretch to take third.

“I always thought that she was my best filly,” said trainer Nancy Takter. “She was my best filly last year training down. Unfortunately, she had a little injury that we had to take care of and give her time off. So she came back from that and she hasn’t had any issues from that all year. It was a matter of just getting her into racing and making up for lost time, not having a lot of starts at two. She always had the ability. She’s a very gifted filly, probably one of the most gifted I’ve been around.”

The daughter of Walner-Thats All Moni, a homebred filly for owners Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky and Marvin Katz of Toronto, Ont., was a one-time winner at two and has now won half of her 12 starts overall, banking $626,485. 

The bettors' choice paid $4.40 to win.

Following the third elimination, Scioto Downs conducted the post position draw for the $664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot (Grade 1). Nezuko Kamado S, Little Road and Shes Moni earned draw protection between posts one through six by winning their eliminations. The field is listed below.

$664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Elimination Driver - Trainer
1. Storybook Love - Todd Ratchford - Matt Bax
2. Victorianas Secret - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Vernon Beachy
3. Shes Moni - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter
4. Nezuko Kamado S - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
5. Little Road - Brady Brown - Roger Hammer
6. Setyoursightshigh - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
7. Custom - Jason Bartlett - Petter Engblom
8. Southwind Chaska - Dexter Dunn - Jim Oscarsson
9. Busy Miss Lissy S - Dexter Dunn - Ake Svanstedt

Diabolic Hill & Big Ranger Capture Sophomore Male Trot Eliminations

Diabolic Hill and Big Ranger emerged victories in the two $35,211 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot eliminations.

An elimination winner in the Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Trot in 2025, Diabolic Hill repeated that feat in 2026, tallying in a lifetime-best 1:51.2 in rein to Todd McCarthy for trainer Annie Stoebe.

Diabolic Hill was part of the early mix for command with 3-2 favourite Inexpressable (Scott Zeron) and American Power (Yannick Gingras) but relented to sit in third on the first turn briefly before McCarthy wheeled him to the outside and took command past the :28.1 quarter. Hambletonian champion Apex (Dexter Dunn) was hot on Diabolic Hill's heels, though, and he became the tempo-setter on the way to the 56-second half-mile marker.

Zeron put Inexpressable in motion first-over heading to the 1:24 three-quarters, but Apex remained firmly in control to that station and around the far turn. However, in the stretch, McCarthy was able to get Diabolic Hill into the passing lane, and thanks to a :27 final quarter, Diabolic Hill rallied past Apex to prevail by a quarter of a length. Inexpressable got third, followed by American Power and supplemental entry Strobe Lite (Louis-Philippe Roy). Strobe Lite would be the fifth-place finisher from the two eliminations with the higher 2026 earnings and therefore earned a spot in next Saturday night's final.

"I think he was handled a little bit more aggressively [tonight]," commented Stoebe. "We stayed out of the [Kentucky] Futurity and protected him. He's super-sharp and fresh, and I think that's what gave him the edge tonight."

Following an eighth-place finish in his Hambletonian elimination, Diabolic Hill was put on Lasix, and Stoebe believes there was an adjustment period for him.

"I think it took a little bit for him to recover from the bleeding, but now we have his weight good, he's feeling great and he's just healthy," she remarked, while adding about his training, "I've learned with colts, it's just follow the protocol. I do the same thing every time and it's really made a difference. He's not nervous; he's just ready."

Stoebe also co-owns Diabolic Hill, a millionaire Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream colt, with partners Mario Mazza of Loxahatchee, Florida and Ac Crawford Racing Stable of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bred by Am Bloodstock, Diabolic Hill sports a summary of 7-6-3 from 20 appearances. Following his elimination win last year, he finished second by less than a length in the freshman final.

Diabolic Hill paid $9.60 to win as the 7-2 third choice.

Hambletonian runner-up Big Ranger, with Tim Tetrick in the bike, bounced back from a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Futurity to score in 1:51.1 for trainer Anette Lorentzon.

Big Ranger, who is now 10-for-10 in his career races at Scioto with this victory, got away in the third position and then brushed to the front around Captain Naughty (Yannick Gingras) and brief leader Nix Nacken (Scott Zeron) beyond the :27.3 quarter. From there, Big Ranger trotted clear through middle-half fractions of :56.1 and 1:23.3 before a :27.3 final kicker polished off his 2-1/4-length triumph. Nix Nacken, coming off wins in the Grade 1 Canadian Trotting Classic and Kentucky Futurity, was clear in second, followed by Read The Room (Ake Svanstedt) and Captain Jordan (Chris Page).

"He felt like his old self. He was really strong and ready to go. He finished out that mile really easy," remarked Tetrick. "With trotters, I think [having experience over the track] does help a lot. He knows this track, he likes it here and he's won many times. He knows how to go fast here and that's a big key. When some of the other ones might have to wait on the turn or something, you don't have to wait on him.

"He's a real pleasure. They don't come along very often and he reminds me of really good horses that I've driven in the past. He's a special animal. He's just so fast and he's so gifted off the car. He makes my job really easy. He's good-gaited and he's a lot of fun."

Bred by Spring Haven Farm, the millionaire In Range-Big Blue Bird colt was sent out by Lorentzon for owner Madison Global of Dundee, Ohio. Big Ranger, whose two-year-old full sister Blue Ranger won her Breeders Crown elimination on Friday night, has 15 victories and one runner-up finish from 19 efforts.

"He raced good all the way up to the Futurity, but unfortunately he was sick there. We took a gamble and gave him the whole week off to try to get him good for this," explained Lorentzon. "I'm very happy with the effort since he was no good last start, but you'd never know that. We thought he had bounced back because he was full of himself all week and tonight he felt really good warming up.

"He's just a cool horse to be around. He's always happy and super nice to be around. He's not mean; he's just playful. When you drive him at home, a five-year-old could go out with him."

Big Ranger returned $2.40 to win as the 1-5 favourite.

The post position draw for the $664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot (Grade 1) will take place on Tuesday at the press conference. By virtue of winning their eliminations, Diabolic Hill and Big Ranger will draw from posts one through six in the final, followed by an open draw for the remainder of the field. The finalists in alphabetical order are listed below.

• American Power
• Apex
• Big Ranger
• Captain Jordan
• Diabolic Hill
• Inexpressable
• Nix Nacken
• Read The Room
• Strobe Lite

Emoticon Legacy Back In Scioto Spotlight In Breeders Crown Open Trot Elimination

Emoticon Legacy and driver Bob McClure prevailed as expected in the $35,211 Breeders Crown Open Trot elimination. Returning to the scene of his record Charlie Hill Memorial triumph last month, the Luc Blais trainee was the 1-9 favourite and did not disappoint his backers with another stellar performance, stopping the timer easily in 1:51.4.

With just one elimination needed for the Open Trot division, the top seven finishers will advance to the final and join On To Norway and Super Chapter, who received byes based on earnings.

Up Your Deo (Ake Svanstedt) fired to the lead from the middle of the gate with Go Dog Go (Scott Zeron) protecting his inside position and Gimpanzee Dancer (David Miller) parked out and landing in third. Go Dog Go took over command with a quarter-pole move at the :28.1 marker but Emoticon Legacy was next to make a move and advanced from fourth to first as the field headed to the :56.4 half. French Wine (Jason Bartlett) followed and was left first-up to challenger the popular leader as he progressed outside into second by the 1:24.2 three-quarter marker. However, Emoticon Legacy gave that challenger the cold shoulder and opened up in the final turn, trotting home in :27.2 to win by 1-3/4 lengths, with Go Dog Go left chasing in second. Antognoni S (Yannick Gingras) took third after an overland trip. Finishing fourth through seventh were Up Your Deo, Gimpanzee Dancer, French Wine and Lexus Kody (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.)

“He’s a superstar,” stated McClure in reference to the 2025 O'Brien Award winner. “Last year, he could bully his way around a lot more and this year he’s had to learn a few things. With Super Chapter not being in here [tonight], I felt he had a really good shot to win. His biggest asset is his lungs — he can carry his speed a long way and he can pull through a situation where he might not have the greatest trip and still give you a great effort."

As the winner of the elimination, Emoticon Legacy will have a protected draw of posts one through six for the final. McClure admitted he’d prefer Emoticon Legacy to have a mid-inside post for the final.

“On a five-eighths, I’d say the best post for him would be the three or four-hole,” he stressed. “Having the rail or two-hole would definitely be a disadvantage.”

A homebred for owner Determination of Montreal, Que., the four-year-old Walner-Emoticon Hanover stallion notched his fourth victory of the season in 10 starts and pushed his bankroll on the verge of $2 million in his return to Scioto, where he won the Charlie Hill Memorial on Sept. 12, setting a new track and world record of 1:50.2 for four-year-old trotting stallions. He is now 15-for-27 lifetime.

The draw for the $600,000 USD Breeders Crown Open Trot (Grade 1) will be conducted on Tuesday. The field is listed below in alphabetical order.

• Antognoni S
• Emoticon Legacy
• French Wine
• Gimpanzee Dancer
• Go Dog Go
• Lexus Kody
• On To Norway
• Super Chapter
• Up Your Deo

Twin B Joe Fresh Sharp In Breeders Crown Mare Pace Elimination

A back-to-back winner in the Grade 1 Dayton Distaff Derby and Grade 3 Allerage Farms, Twin B Joe Fresh is poised to tackle a second Breeders Crown Mare Pace championship following a decisive 1:49.4 win in the lone $35,211 elimination for her division.

Sent off as the 3-5 favourite among eight rivals, 2024 Breeders Crown champion Twin B Joe Fresh and driver Dexter Dunn used the entirety of the first turn to clear early leader Champagne Room (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) at the end of a :26.4 first quarter while The Last Martini (Doug McNair) stalked from third after pressing the pace at the pegs. Once in control of the terms, Twin B Joe Fresh pulled the tempo back through middle splits of :55.3 and 1:23.2 before facing a steady but mild first-over challenge from Milton Stakes winner Francent N (Louis-Philippe Roy) on the far turn.

Twin B Joe Fresh rose to the challenge with aplomb and shook free by 1-3/4 lengths in upper stretch. She was well within herself through a :26.2 sprint home to defeat Francent N by a measured length. The Last Martini angled between foes with 70 yards remaining and lifted mildly to just collar a flat Champagne Room for third, another two lengths behind.

Rounding out the top seven finishers to advance to the final were Talk Curdy To Me (Jason Bartlett), Rocket Deo (Tim Tetrick), Rodeo Drive Deo (Yannick Gingras).

"She had a bit of a slow start this year, but she's back in form and back to her best," said Dunn, who shares ownership of Twin B Joe Fresh with trainer Chris Ryder and partners Peter Trebotica of Bordentown, New Jersey and Barry Spak of Thornton, Pennsyvania. "She felt great post parading. She can leave the gate as fast as you want to and she relaxes after that. I couldn't be happier these last three starts with how she is."

Twin B Joe Fresh, a six-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze bred by Brittany Farms, has won 42 of her 62 starts to date and has earned more than $4 million in her career.

"I was impressed again," said Ryder of his star trainee. "Dex is just raving about her. She's relaxing; she's been better the last three starts. We raced her at [Harrah's Philadelphia] in an overnight and she was a little bit out of control, so we changed the bridle and I think it's helped her a lot. I think she's as good as she can be."

Twin B Joe Fresh paid $3.20 to win.

By virtue of her elimination win, Twin B Joe Fresh was guaranteed to draw a post position from one through six for the final. The top seven finishers qualified for the final, as did Tarapasta and Unreasonable, whose connections accepted byes. The field is listed below in post position order.

$443,000 USD Breeders Crown Mare Pace (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Elimination Driver - Trainer
1. The Last Martini - Doug McNair - Jared Bako
2. Talk Curdy To Me - Jason Bartlett - David Menary
3. Francent N - Louis-Philippe Roy - Pat Lachance
4. Rocket Deo - Tim Tetrick - Brett Pelling
5. Tarapasta - N/A - Todd Luther
6. Twin B Joe Fresh - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder
7. Champagne Room - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
8. Rodeo Drive Deo - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
9. Unreasonable - N/A - Andrew Harris

Women Layer, Dandy Ideal Win Breeders Crown Open Pace Eliminations

Women Layer and Dandy Ideal stamped their tickets to the big dance winning a pair of $35,211 Breeders Crown Open Pace eliminations. In a week’s time, Women Layer and Dandy Ideal will see if they are indeed fit for a ‘Crown.’ On this night, both showed that they have the talent and tenacity to claim that coronation.

The first elimination featured a riveting late-race duel between the two top choices on the tote board: Women Layer, at 7-5, and Best Chip, at 3-2.

Women Layer, driven by Yannick Gingras, stormed to the lead at the outset, while Best Chip and Joe Bongiorno were forced to march on after failing to secure a spot along the pylons. After an opening quarter was reached in :26.3, Bongiorno slowed the pace as Best Chip led the field through a half in :55, with Gingras shadowing the pacesetter.

Still on top after three-quarters in 1:22.1 with Ken Hanover (Tim Tetrick) first-over, Best Chip soon came under pressure in the stretch from the inside as Women Layer began closing the gap. With 40 yards remaining, Women Layer seized command and went on to defeat his rival by three-quarters of a length in 1:48.4. Surreal Ideal (Dexter Dunn) rallied from the back past Admiral Hill (Andy McCarthy) to finish third while Ken Hanover ended up fifth.

Bred by Carl Howard, the five-year-old millionaire son of Sweet Lou out of Loreenas Ruffian now has a career record of 33-10-5 from 58 starts.

Women Layer entered his elimination off a 1:48.4 victory at The Red Mile on Oct. 10.

“We just wanted to prep him for this all along, probably, about five or six weeks out,” said winning trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. “The Lexington race turned out perfect. I don’t want to say it was a soft field, but we got the six-hole on a mile track in a six-horse field and it was just a nice prep. Yannick gets along with him great and he couldn’t have come into this better.”

Women Layer is owned by Let It Ride Stables of Boca Raton, Florida, Jeff Fought Racing of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Larry Wills of Columbus, Ohio and Jesmeral Stable of New Rochelle, New York. Earlier this season, he sprang a 17-1 upset on Aug. 8 at The Meadowlands, winning the first division of the Grade 2 Sam McKee Memorial in 1:48.2.

“[When] we got him, he was a difficult horse to train, but he’s extremely fast,” said Morgan, who has trained Women Layer since the fall of 2024. “It was by design this year. He’s just matured and he’s a really nice racehorse. He’s so tactical off the gate and obviously, speed wins races.”

Dandy Ideal, driven by Tim Tetrick in the pacer's first start for trainer Brett Pelling, powered home down the stretch to capture top honours in the second elimination.

It was a cavalry charge for the lead, with several contenders looking to secure the front end off the gate. Tetrick, however, opted to avoid the early fray and settled Dandy Ideal into fifth in the seven-horse field.

Calicojack Hanover (Yannick Gingras) emerged on the front end and led his six rivals through an opening quarter in :26.2 before Ervin Hanover (Dexter Dunn) took command shortly after. Ervin Hanover continued to lead through a half-mile in :54 before Tetrick made his move with Dandy Ideal at the midway point, flushing favoured Prince Hal Hanover (Todd McCarthy) first-up to take aim at the leader, while Calicojack Hanover remained inside third.

The stage was set for a dramatic stretch drive after three-quarters in 1:21.1. With little room to work with, Dandy Ideal got up in the last strides, edging a game Prince Hal Hanover by a neck in 1:48.4. Ervin Hanover and Calicojack Hanover finished third and fourth, respectively, less than a length back.

Tetrick, who was reunited with Dandy Ideal, praised his elimination partner.

“I drove him as a two-year-old and he won the Matron and I really liked him then," he noted. "Then he came back as a great three-year-old and he has been battling ever since. He’s beaten me a lot, so he is a very nice horse.”

A foot issue kept Dandy Ideal out of the Grade 3 Allerage on Sept. 10 at The Red Mile, a factor Tetrick considered when developing his strategy for the elimination.

“He hadn’t raced in three weeks, so I thought the best way to get him into the [Breeders Crown] final was not to beat him up,” said Tetrick. “He responded. I got a good trip, second-over. He’s a good horse – he’ll do it either way. I just like getting to drive him. He was loaded.”

Owned by Susan Oakes of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and Alan Johnston of Syracuse, New York, the millionaire American Ideal-Ok Heavenly gelding has now recorded 22 wins, six seconds and three thirds from 40 starts. He was bred by Stephen Dey and Dandy Farms.

Dandy Ideal returned $8.20 to win as the 3-1 third choice on the tote board.

The post position draw for the $662,000 USD Breeders Crown Open Pace (Grade 1) will take place on Tuesday. The elimination winners, Women Layer and Dandy Ideal, will draw from posts one through six in the final, with the remaining positions determined by an open draw. Ken Hanover also secured a spot in the final as the fifth-place finisher with the highest seasonal earnings. The field is listed below in alphabetical order.

• Admiral Hill
• Best Chip
• Calicojack Hanover
• Dandy Ideal
• Ervin Hanover
• Ken Hanover
• Prince Hal Hanover
• Surreal Ideal
• Women Layer

No Eliminations Needed For Trotting Mares

The $400,000 USD Breeders Crown Mare Trot (Grade 1) did not require eliminations with only 10 entrants. The field was drawn on Saturday and is listed below.

$400,000 USD Breeders Crown Mare Trot (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Trainer
1. Tactical Moni - Marcus Melander
2. Jurassic Hattie - Stacey Van Huizen
3. Miracle Maven - Ron Burke
4. Bravo Angel S - Petter Engblom
5. R Dutchess - John Butenschoen
6. Warrawee Michelle - Ake Svanstedt
7. Woman Of Passion - Carter Pinske
8. Delaney Hanover - Lucas Wallin
9. Walspea - Trond Smedshammer
10. Yo Tillie - Andrew Harris

Post Positions Drawn For Freshman Filly Pacers

The post positions were drawn on Saturday night for the $700,000 USD Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (Grade 1), which also did not require eliminations with 10 entrants. The field is listed below.

$700,000 USD Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Trainer
1. Cleveland Darby - Ron Burke
2. Too Pink To Pass - Shane Tritton
3. We Want It All - Dr. Ian Moore
4. JK Lady Liberty - Nancy Takter
5. Positive Process - Petter Engblom
6. My Taylors Swift - Ron Burke
7. Cowboy Candy - Aaron Lambert
8. Seaside Ubeaut - Andrew Harris
9. Tempting Flames - Michael Hitchcock
10. Aceandaten - Gregg McNair

The fields were drawn for the other freshman finals following their respective eliminations on Friday. 

The four two-year-old finals are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, with the eight championships for three-year-olds and the open divisions on Saturday, Oct. 24. Post time for the Breeders Crown cards is 6 p.m.

(Hambletonian Society & Standardbred Canada; photos, clockwise from top left, of Sangria Summer, Gentlemans Club, Nezuko Kamado S and Emoticon Legacy)