The 2015 Breeders Crown had the possibility of a high-profile Indiana-sired pacing colt entering the fray after paying a supplemental entry fee. On Monday, that option became a reality.
The pride of Indiana, three-year-old colt pacer Freaky Feet Pete, as well as five-year-old trotter Creatine, back home in the U.S. after an international campaign this year, were supplemented to their respective Breeders Crown divisions by the noon deadline on Monday (Oct. 12).
The $5.8 million Breeders Crown events will be contested on Saturday (Oct. 24) at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
Indiana-bred Wiggle It Jiggleit has dominated both the three-year-old pacing colt division and the sport’s headlines since February, but like Freaky Feet Pete was not eligible to the Breeders Crown program. The owners of Freaky Feet Pete, Mary Jo and Marty Rheinheimer, pulled the trigger on the $62,500 supplemental fee after their homebred defeated Wiggle It Jiggleit at Hoosier Park in the $220,000 Indiana Sires Stakes final on Saturday (Oct. 10).
With a record of 11 wins in 13 starts this year, Freaky Feet Pete has not left his home turf of Hoosier Park but has only been beaten twice there, once by Wiggle It Jiggleit in May, and by Wakizashi Hanover in September. The son of Rockin Image has combined win margins of more than 67 lengths and his two losses measure less than four lengths.
“Yes, we are going to the Breeders Crown,” trainer Larry Rheinheimer told reporter Kim French after his last victory. “We let the horse tell us what to do and tonight he told us.”
Creatine, owned by Big C Racing (Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farm, Creatine's former trainer Bob Stewart and his wife Lynda, and Diamond Creek Racing), has racked up an impressive $1.83 million in his four-year career.
The son of Andover Hall was campaigned overseas in 2015, but returned home to represent the U.S. in last Saturday’s $1 million Yonkers International Trot, finishing third behind Papagayo E and Timoko.
Now trained by Jimmy Takter and driven by his brother Johnny, Creatine will make his third start in Breeders Crown competition after finishing second as a three-year-old and third in the 2014 Open Trot. The supplemental fee of $62,500 was necessary because the eligibility fees for 2015 had not been made.
Regular entries for eligible trotters and pacers are due by 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 13) at the Mohawk race office. There are no supplemental provisions for 2-year-old races.
The contestants for the 12 Breeders Crown finals will be determined through elimination races this Friday and Saturday night at Woodbine. Eliminations for all two-year-olds will be raced on Friday (post time 7:25 p.m.) and eliminations for all three-year-olds and up will be Saturday (post time 7:25 p.m.).
Elimination winners draw for inside post positions 1-5 for the finals.
The $5.8 million divisional championships finals are scheduled for Saturday (Oct. 24) at Woodbine Racetrack. Special post time is 6:30 p.m. (EDT). There will be a live broadcast from 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. on TSN2 in Canada.
(with files from the Hambletonian Society)