Breeders Crown elimination winner Allegiant, with Scott Zeron in the bike again, won the $833,333 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Trot at The Meadowlands on Saturday, Oct. 26, crossing the finish in a personal-best and stakes-record-equaling 1:51.1.
Zeron fired his filly off the gate and took the lead easily enough, but R Melina (Todd McCarthy) was looking to avenge losing her elimination and overtook Allegiant for the lead in a soft :27.4 first panel. Willys Home Run (James MacDonald) took safe cover behind the first two with Elista Hanover (David Miller) behind them in fourth.
Nothing changed as R Melina guided the field to a :55.4 half, but Elista Hanover took to the outside to chase, giving cover to elim winner Drawn Impression (Louis-Philippe Roy) while the top two rolled towards three-quarters in 1:23.2. Zeron's filly had tons of trot saved from the catbird-seat journey when he sent her mid-track to use that saved energy for a convincing challenge to win and defeat R Melina by 2-1/4 lengths. Elista Hanover took the third spot with Drawn Impression in fourth and Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt) closing from last for fifth.
Even though it was a smooth trip, Zeron said "It shows how tough she really is." The win by the daughter of Tactical Landing, from the Yankee Glide mare Too Good For You, places her in millionaire status with $1,202,735 in her wallet lifetime. Bred by Atlantic Trot Inc. and Steve H. Stewart and owned by Ryan W. Smith, Allegiant scored her 10th win in 25 starts over two seasons.
Zeron scored his eighth Breeders Crown trophy with his second-straight win driving Allegiant. "I was happy to sit in the second spot," he said after the race. "She shows me no emotion [when we race]." He also praised trainer Linda Toscano, who won her ninth Breeders Crown trophy and first in this division, for how the filly has been handled.
Allegiant matched the stakes record set in 2022 by Jiggy Jog S with the win and paid $6.00 to win.
(Breeders Crown)