“We are happy and proud to accept the invitation to the Breeders Crown!” read the RSVP from Commander Crowe’s owner Calle Wihlborg, upon receipt of the second and final invitation to travel to Woodbine
Racetrack for the $600,000 Breeders Crown Trot on Saturday, October 29.
Commander Crowe is an eight-year-old Swedish-bred son of Juliano Star-Somack, conditioned by French trainer Fabrice Souloy. In his last two starts in France he trotted the fasted mile ever in Europe at Cagnes-Sur-Mer (1:50.4) and then breezed to an easy win in the Prix d’Ete at Vincennes on Sunday, Sept. 11. The popular Commander Crowe won the first 23 races of his career and counts 42 wins in 63 starts, bringing his lifetime earnings to $2.2 million.
For just the second time in the history of harness racing's Breeders Crown Series, all 12 Breeders Crown events will be raced on a single card. This year's edition marks the first time that all 12 will be hosted in Canada. The top-ranked horse in North America currently happens to be older trotter and two-time O'Brien Award winner, San Pail, who will defend his home turf in his first attempt at a Breeders Crown title.
An invitation was also issued to and accepted by French trotter Rapide Lebel, and eligibles to the race include the last three winners of this event: Enough Talk (2010), Lucky Jim (2009), Corleone Kosmos (2008), as well as 2007 sophomore trot winner Arch Madness. The last invited foreigner to win this event occurred 10 years ago when Italian sensation Varenne stormed the Meadowlands oval in a world-record 1:51.1.
“We really look forward to match our horse against the best horses in North America and Rapide Lebel," said Wihlborg.
The complete list of horses eligible to all 12 Breeders Crown events as well as the racing conditions can be found at www.Hambletonian.org
(Hambletonian Society)
This is awesome! Perhaps the
This is awesome! Perhaps the greatest field of trotters to ever assemble behind a starting gate. Go San Pail!
WOW is right! There's a lot
WOW is right!
There's a lot of water can flow under the bridge from Sept 16 to Oct 29
BUT if these horses stay sound and anywhere near top form this race is
shaping up as the race of the century! Right up there with the likes of
The March of Dimes and the great Roosevelt International trots!
Makes waiting for the end of the season worthwhile!
I hope this one gets some real heavy duty MAINSTREAM media promotion!!
Wow... is he just the
Wow... is he just the best-looking trotter you've ever seen?? Beautiful... Breeders Crown is gonna rock!! :)