The $810,000 Breeders Crown for freshman trotting fillies was billed as a face off between Special Way and Righteous Resolve and it certainly lived up to expectations resulting in a track and Canadian record on Friday night (Oct. 28) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Both talented fillies came into the contest riding winning streaks -- seven straight for Righteous Resolve and six in a row for Special Way.
Righteous Resolve, the lone Ontario-sired miss in the race, went straight to top from post seven for Paul MacDonell. That pair hit the opener in :27.1 and no one challenged them through the next quarter as Righteous Resolve tripped the halfway timer in :56.
Ake Svanstedt, sitting fourth with Special Way, pulled out to challenge just past the half and was closing in on the leader at the 1:24.1 three-quarters. Down the stretch, she wore down Righteous Resolve and went on by to win in a sparkling 1:52, a new track and Canadian record. Walner Payton also got by to take second with Righteous Resolve holding for third. Mambacita and Instagram Model were next across.
Special Way's winning time knocked one-fifth of a second off Mission Brief's record, which had stood since 2014.
Special Way was an impressive victor in last weekend’s eliminations for the Breeder Crown while Righteous Resolve earned a bye in the final as the richest filly in the field.
Svanstedt also trains Special Way, and after the race, he called her the best filly he has had, high praise considering some of his stable stars.
The daughter of Walner out of Special Hill is owned by breeders Brittany Farms and the Breeders Crown presenting sponsors, Marvin Katz of Toronto, Ont., and Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont. Unfortunately, Libfeld was unable to be at the track to witness Special Way’s performance and both Katz and Brittany Farms' owner George Segal commented on how much he was missed in the winner's circle.
Special Way’s family is well known to the partners.
“We trained the grandmother of this filly and her mother. It’s a family we have a great deal of faith in and we developed together and that’s what makes it exhilarating to develop something like this,” explained Katz, who added that winning a Breeders Crown event at his home track is “as good as it gets.”
Segal, who has several Crown trophies at his home in Kentucky, noted that it never gets old winning a Breeders Crown, it just gets tougher.
Winning Breeders Crown finals is bred into Special Way as her third dam, Honorable Daughter, won this exact final in 2008 at The Meadowlands.
Special Way now has seven wins from nine career starts and doubled her bankroll, which now totals $806,850.
She paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favourite.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
For complete coverage of the 2022 Breeders Crown championships, click here.
(With files from Woodbine/Hambletonian Society)