The 35th edition of the Breeders Crown, harness racing’s year-end championships, will take place this Saturday (Oct. 27) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
A total of 12 championship races will be contested to crown a champion in each division, and it comes as no surprise to see Saturday’s rich card filled with Canadian connections.
Woodbine top drivers Sylvain Filion, Jody Jamieson, Bob McClure and Doug McNair will all take their talents to the Keystone State looking for Breeders Crown glory, while a total of 11 Ontario-based trainers — Gregg McNair, Paula Wellwood, Carl Jamieson, Luc Blais, Ben Baillargeon, Susie Kerwood, Jeff Gillis, Stephanie Jamieson, Rick Zeron, Peter Shody and Casie Coleman — will send out Crown starters on Saturday’s card.
Many of the sport’s leading owners are Canadian and the names of John Fielding, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, Brad Grant and the Determination Stable can be found multiple times in this year’s Crown program.
The full list of Canadian connections in Saturday’s $6 million Breeders Crown can be found below.
Race 3 – $600,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
#1 Beautyonthebeach
Trainer: Gregg McNair (Guelph, Ont.)
#3 Tall Drink Hanover
Co-Owner: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.)
#4 Warrawee Ubeaut
Breeder: Warrawee Farm (Rockwood, Ont.)
#6 Treacherous Reign
Co-Owner: Big Als Stables (Thornhill, Ont.)
#8 Prescient Beauty
Trainer: Gregg McNair (Guelph, Ont.)
Driver: Doug McNair (Guelph, Ont.)
Race 4 – $600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot
#4 Smart As Hill
Owners: Dreamville Stable (Cambridge, Ont.) and Steve Organ (Aurora, Ont.)
Breeder: Stan Klemencic (Trenton, Ont.)
Trainer: Paula Wellwood (Cambridge, Ont.)
Driver: Bob McClure (Elora, Ont.)
#6 Super Schissel
Co-Owner: Al Libfeld (Pickering, Ont.)
Breeder: Coyote Wynd Farms (Vancouver, B.C.)
#7 Trix And Stones
Owners: Carl Jamieson (Rockwood, Ont.), Joanne Morrison (Beeton, Ont.) and Dr. Robert Boyce (London, Ont.)
Trainer: Carl Jamieson (Rockwood, Ont.)
Race 5 – $600,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
#1 When Dovescry
Co-Owner: Yves Sarrazin (La Presentation, Que.)
#3 Champagne Jane
Sire: Holiday Road
Owner: Determination (Montreal, Que.)
Trainer/Breeder: Luc Blais (Campbellville, Ont.)
Driver: Bob McClure (Elora, Ont.)
#5 Special Honor
Co-Owner/Breeders: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.) and Al Libfeld (Pickering, Ont.)
#6 Whispering Oaks
Co-Owners: R A W Equine (Burlington, Ont.)
Breeders: Al Libfeld (Pickering, Ont.), Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.) and Sam Goldband (Toronto, Ont.)
#8 The Ice Dutchess
Owner: Coyote Wynd Farms (Vancouver, B.C.)
Race 6 – $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
#4 Percy Bluechip
Sire: Shadow Play
#6 Dance Blue
Co-Owners: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.) and Sam Goldband (Toronto, Ont.)
#9 Kissin In The Sand
Co-Owner: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.)
Co-Breeder: R A W Equine (Burlington, Ont.)
Race 7 – $500,000 Three-Year-Old Trot
#1 Run Director
Sire: Kadabra
Owner/Breeders: Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin (St. Catharines, Ont.)
Trainer: Ben Baillargeon (Guelph, Ont.)
Driver: Sylvain Filion (Milton, Ont.)
#6 Jula Downton
Sire: Kadabra
Trainer: Susie Kerwood (Rockwood, Ont.)
Driver: Jody Jamieson (Moffat, Ont.)
#9 Lawmaker
Owners: TheStable Lawmaker Group (Guelph, Ont.)
Breeder: Pedigree Farm (Campbellville, Ont.)
Driver: Anthony MacDonald (Guelph, Ont.)
Race 8 – $600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace
#3 Lyons Johnnyjnr
Owner: Geoffrey Lyons Mound (Brantford, Ont.)
Trainer: Jeff Gillis (Mississauga, Ont.)
#5 Captain Trevor
Co-Owners: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.) and Brad Grant (Milton, Ont.)
Race 9 – $500,000 Open Trot
#1 Pinkman
Co-Owners: John and Jim Fielding (Toronto, Ont.)
#2 Dunbar Hall
Co-Owner: Carl Jamieson (Rockwood, Ont.)
Trainer: Stephanie Jamieson (Moffat, Ont.)
Driver: Jody Jamieson (Moffat, Ont.)
#7 Warrawee Roo
Sire: Majestic Son
Owner: Determination (Montreal, Que.)
Breeder: Warrawee Farm (Rockwood, Ont.)
Trainer: Luc Blais (Campbellville, Ont.)
#8 Will Take Charge
Sire: Kadabra
Owner: Mac Nichol (Burlington, Ont.)
Trainer: Jeff Gillis (Mississauga, Ont.)
#9 Marion Marauder
Owners: Jean Wellwood (Stratford, Ont.) and Devin Keeling (Cambridge, Ont.)
Trainer: Paula Wellwood (Cambridge, Ont.)
Race 10 - $270,000 Mare Pace
#1 Twinkle
Sire: Bettors Delight
Race 11 – $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
#1 Plunge Blue Chip
Co-Owner: Rick Zeron Stables (Oakville, Ont.)
#3 Atlanta
Co-Owners: Rick Zeron (Oakville, Ont.), Holland Racing Stable (Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont.) and Brad Grant (Milton, Ont.)
Trainer: Rick Zeron (Oakville, Ont.)
#6 Courtney Hanover
Co-Owners: Rick Zeron Stables (Oakville, Ont.), Paul Marion (Emrun, Ont.) and Bruno Dipoce (Wasaga Beach, Ont.)
Trainer: Rick Zeron (Oakville, Ont.)
Driver: Rick Zeron (Oakville, Ont.)
#8 Manchego
Co-Owner: John Fielding (Toronto, Ont.)
Race 12 – $530,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace
#3 Springsteen
Co-Owner: Allard Racing Inc (Saint-Esprit, Que.)
#4 Thinkbig Dreambig
Co-Owner: John Fielding (Toronto, Ont.)
#6 American History
Co-Owner: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.)
Race 13 – $250,000 Mare Trot
#4 Caprice Hill
Sire: Kadabra
#5 Emoticon Hanover
Sire: Kadabra
Owner: Determination (Montreal, Que.)
Breeders: Linda Wellwood (St. George Brant, Ont.), Tammy Aspden (Caistor Centre, Ont.), Anne Shunock (Dorchester, Ont.) and Diane Ingham (Mount Pleasant, Ont.)
Trainer: Luc Blais (Campbellville, Ont.)
#7 Pink Pistol
Owner: Knightstalker Stable (Oshawa, Ont.)
Trainer: Peter Shody (Oshawa, Ont.)
#8 Ariana G
Owner-Breeders: Marvin Katz (Toronto, Ont.) and Al Libfeld (Pickering, Ont.)
Race 14 – $430,000 Open Pace
#3 McWicked
Trainer: Casie Coleman (Cambridge, Ont.)
(Woodbine)