The fields are set for the 2026 Breeders Crown championship weekend at Scioto Downs with the post positions drawn for the remaining four divisions during a party at the Pinnacle Golf Course in Grove City, Ohio on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The Breeders Crown divisions that were drawn on Tuesday evening were the Three-Year-Old Colt Pace, Three-Year-Old Colt Trot, Open Pace and Open Trot. Those fields are listed below. Elimination winners drew for posts one through six before the remaining finalists were put in an open draw. The draws for the other eight championships were completed this past weekend.
Super Chapter, the top-ranked horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, will leave from post eight in Saturday’s $600,000 USD Breeders Crown Open Trot after being one of two horses to receive a bye to the final. The four-year-old son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit has been no worse than second in nine races this season, with seven wins and $1.66 million in earnings. His victories include three Grade 1 events – the John Cashman Memorial, Maple Leaf Trot and MGM Yonkers International Trot – plus the Grade 2 Dayton Trotting Derby in his most recent start on Oct. 3.
Dexter Dunn will drive Super Chapter for trainer Marcus Melander as they look to extend a five-race win streak.
“I think you should always take a bye if you have the opportunity,” Melander said over the weekend. “You never know what can happen in an elimination. You can be interfered with, you can take a bad step. You lose the opportunity to win the elimination and draw (post) one through six, but sometimes you have to gamble a little bit. Also, three weeks between races has never been any problem for him.”
Four-year-old Emoticon Legacy, who won the sole Open Trot elimination in 1:51.4, will start from post four with Bob McClure driving for trainer Luc Blais. On To Norway, a four-year-old who was the other bye recipient, will leave from post seven with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. the listed driver for Ron Burke while 2025 Open Trot winner French Wine will go from post one with Jason Bartlett at the lines for Nancy Takter.
“I was worried about the rail, but the four is perfect; I think Bob has options” Blais said, adding about Super Chapter and On To Norway drawing to the outside, “They’re going to need to work hard. It’s going to change the game a little bit.”
In the $662,000 USD Open Pace, elimination winners Dandy Ideal and Women Layer, who both won in 1:48.4, landed posts three and one, respectively. Tim Tetrick will be in the sulky behind Dandy Ideal for trainer Brett Pelling while Women Layer will have Yannick Gingras in the bike for Virgil Morgan Jr. Ervin Hanover, the 2025 Open Pace champ who was a half-length behind Dandy Ideal in his third-place elimination finish last week, will leave from post nine with Dexter Dunn driving for Dave Menary.
“We’re just hoping to draw from the five in,” Morgan Jr. said shortly before the draw. “Hopefully the five in and I’m pretty confident will let the chips fall where they may with him.”
The elimination winners for the three-year-old male trotters, Big Ranger and Diabolic Hill, will start the $664,500 USD final from posts two and three, respectively. Big Ranger won his elim in 1:51.1 with Tim Tetrick in the sulky for Anette Lorentzon; Diabolic Hill was a 1:51.2 winner with Todd McCarthy driving for Annie Stoebe.
Hambletonian winner Apex, who was second to Diabolic Hill in their elimination, drew post six with Dexter Dunn set to drive, while Kentucky Futurity winner Nix Nacken, who was second to Big Ranger, got post five and has Scott Zeron listed. Both are trained by Melander.
“I’m thrilled with it,” Stoebe said about the draw. “I just didn’t want the rail, so anywhere from three to six, I was going to be very happy. I can’t wait (for the weekend) but I’m trying to keep everything the same, don’t change anything.”
In the $664,500 USD final for three-year-old male pacers, elimination winners Gentlemans Club and Melillo will leave from posts one and two, respectively. Gentlemans Club won his elimination in 1:48.3 for driver Andy McCarthy and trainer Aaron Lambert. Melillo captured his elim in 1:49.3 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky for trainer Burke. Brandon Blvd, the sport’s number-two-ranked horse behind Super Chapter, will start from post four with Dunn driving for Andrew Harris.
The Breeders Crown draw party was sponsored by Kountry Lane Standardbreds, Louprint, Right at Home and Standing Stallions.
All eight Breeders Crown championships for the three-year-olds and open divisions will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Scioto Downs, following the four two-year-old finals on Friday, Oct. 23. Post time is 6 p.m. for both Crown cards. Friday night’s action will be aired on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) from 8-11 p.m. and Saturday’s on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) from 7-10:30 p.m.
Click on the following links for recaps of the eliminations of the two-year-olds and three-year-olds and open divisions, including post draws for the remaining events.
$664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Gentlemans Club* - Andrew McCarthy - Aaron Lambert
2. Melillo* - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
3. Funky Buddha - Tim Tetrick - Tony Dinges
4. Brandon Blvd - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris
5. Al Papi - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
6. Sweet Lovin Lou - Scott Zeron - Dan Lagace
7. Odds On Mr Mamba - Peter Wrenn - Melanie Wrenn
8. Fragment - Jason Barlett - Petter Engblom
9. Cooperstown Boy - Doug McNair - Jared Bako
$664,500 USD Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. American Power - Yannick Gingras - Marcus Melander
2. Big Ranger* - Tim Tetrick - Anette Lorentzon
3. Diabolic Hill* - Todd McCarthy - Annie Stoebe
4. Inexpressable - Scott Zeron - Lucas Wallin
5. Nix Nacken - Scott Zeron - Marcus Melander
6. Apex - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
7. Strobe Lite - Louis-Philippe Roy - Ben Baillargeon
8. Read The Room - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
9. Captain Jordan - Chris Page - Scott DiDomenico
$662,000 USD Breeders Crown Open Pace (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Women Layer* - Yannick Gingras - Virgil Morgan Jr.
2. Best Chip - Jason Bartlett - Joe Bongiorno
3. Dandy Ideal* - Tim Tetrick - Hunter Oakes
4. Calicojack Hanover - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
5. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Dr. Ian Moore
6. Ken Hanover - David Miller - Roland Mallar
7. Admiral Hill - Andrew McCarthy - Petter Engblom
8. Surreal Ideal - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Vernon Beachy
9. Ervin Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Dave Menary
$600,000 USD Breeders Crown Open Trot (Grade 1)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. French Wine - Jason Bartlett - Nancy Takter
2. Gimpanzee Dancer - David Miller - Chris Beaver
3. Lexus Kody - Tim Tetrick - Ron Burke
4. Emoticon Legacy* - Bob McClure - Luc Blais
5. Antognoni S - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
6. Go Dog Go - Scott Zeron - Carter Pinske
7. On To Norway** - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
8. Super Chapter** - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
9. Up Your Deo - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
*Elimination winners drew for posts one through six.
**Horses that received byes based on earnings.
Click on the following links for recaps of the eliminations for the two-year-olds and three-year-olds and open divisions, including post draws for the remaining events.
A replay of the post position draw can be viewed below.
(Standardbred Canada & Breeders Crown)