Entries for the $6 million (US) Breeders Crown events saw 161 elite trotters and pacers fill the entry box to qualify for the lucrative finals on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26.
Sixty-three two-year-olds were entered, which has necessitated $25,000 eliminations for all divisions. The two-year-old elims will be contested on Friday, October 18. Both the names of the juveniles that chose to accept byes and the complexion of the elimination fields will be unveiled this afternoon. All two-year-old finals will feature a purse of $600,000.
Twelve have been entered to contest the $600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace, therefore two colts will be offered byes and a 10-horse elimination will be contested (the top eight finishers from the elim will advance to the final). Post positions for the two-year-old pacing colt final will be drawn on Tuesday, October 22 at Mohawk.
Thirteen freshman trotting colts have been entered, therefore three byes will be granted and a 10-horse elimination will be raced. The top seven finishers from the elim will advance to the $600,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot Final.
The $600,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot (17) and $600,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (21) will necessitate full eliminations on Friday to arrive at a field of 10.
In the sophomore divisions, both the $500,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Trot and the $550,000 (est.) Three-Year-Old Filly Pace each drew an even dozen entries, therefore two byes will be issued and 10-horse eliminations conducted for both divisions.
The $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot will feature a pair of eight-horse eliminations on Saturday, October 19, and the $600,000 (est.) Three-Year-Old Colt Pace, which has attracted 15, will also need two elims to arrive at 10-horse final, which will be drawn Tuesday, October 22 at the press conference.
The Open Mare Trot had 15 entries, with two elims to be contested on Saturday, October 19.
The following races will head straight to October 26 finals:
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The $500,000 Breeders Crown Trot has attracted 11 entrants, including the foreign invitee Bold Eagle and four-year-old mare Atlanta. This event will not need elims and will head straight to the final. Post positions will be drawn on Tuesday, October 22 at the post position draw at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
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The $300,000 Mare Pace attracted seven entries and will go straight to the final.
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The $500,000 Breeders Crown Pace, with 10 entrants, will also go directly to the final.
Two-year-old eliminations will be conducted on Friday, October 18. The sophomore and open divisions that require eliminations will see the elims raced on Saturday, October 19.
Elimination winners will draw for posts one through five. Post positions will be drawn on Friday and Saturday after the elimination races, with the exception of the two-year-old colt pace, crown pace and crown trot.
Post time will be at 7:50 p.m. on Friday and 7:10 p.m. on Saturday.
Complete elimination and final fields will be available when the byes and elimination draws are finalized.
(With files from the Breeders Crown)