The entry box has closed with the names of 183 horses dropped in the box to compete in the 2021 Breeders Crown eliminations this Friday (Oct. 22) and Saturday (Oct. 23) at The Meadowlands.
Of the 12 championship races, the Open Trot will not have eliminations this weekend as the division attracted 11 competitors.
UNBEATEN FRESHMEN LOOK TO STAY PERFECT IN CROWN
A pair of undefeated sensations topped a total of 71 two-year-old entrants dropped into the box Tuesday morning to create a total of nine eliminations as the Breeders Crown makes its return to The Meadowlands for the first time since 2016 on Friday night.
The action will feature two-year-olds of each sex and gait, with all eliminations going for a purse of $25,000. All four $600,000 finals will take place Friday, Oct. 29. Post time for both Friday race cards is 6:20 p.m.
The filly trot attracted a total of 15 entrants, making it necessary for a pair of splits. Mohawk Million, Peaceful Way and Jim Doherty winner Venerable, unbeaten in eight starts in 2021, will attempt to win a ninth in a row for trainer Nifty Norman and driver Dave Miller.
The top five finishers from each elim will move on to the final, with the winners drawing for post positions 1-5.
Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
Elimination One:
1. Ebbies Lady (Ake Svanstedt, Ake Svanstedt)
2. Shestheluckyone (Simon Allard, Ron Burke)
3. Brickhouse Babe (Mark MacDonald, Ray Schnittker)
4. Selfie Queen (Scott Zeron, Nancy Takter)
5. Lilbitalexis (Dexter Dunn, Richard "Nifty" Norman)
6. Venerable (David Miller, Richard "Nifty" Norman)
7. Jaya Bae (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander)
Elimination Two:
1. Jiggy Jog S (Yannick Gingras, Ake Svanstedt)
2. Mrs Taylor (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
3. Joviality S (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander)
4. Valentina Blu (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
5. Delilah Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Richard "Nifty" Norman)
6. Raised By Lindy (Yannick Gingras, Domenico Cecere)
7. Im Happy Hanover (Daniel Dube, Deborah Daguet)
8. Palermo Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Noel Daley)
Niki Hill will attempt to run her unblemished record to seven wins in as many starts in the lone elim for filly pacers. The Chris Ryder student won the She’s A Great Lady as the 1-9 favorite in a lifetime-best equaling 1:50.2 in late September and her connections opted to not take the bye to the final. Dont Fence Me In and Lyons Serenity accepted byes and go straight to next week’s final.
The top eight finishers from the elimination will qualify for the championship dash with the winner drawing post position 1-5.
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
1. Captain Cowgirl (Tim Tetrick, Jim King Jr.)
2. Sea Silk (Chris Page, Ron Burke)
3. Boudoir Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
4. Gotthegreenlight (Brian Sears, Richard "Nifty" Norman)
5. Galleria Hanover (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
6. Queen Of Success (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
7. Niki Hill (Dexter Dunn, Chris Ryder)
8. Yes And Yes (Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke)
9. Frantasy Hanover (Joe Bongiorno, Ron Burke)
10. Treacherous Dragon (Todd McCarthy, Brett Pelling)
A total of 23 colt and gelding trotters will be split into three elims. Duly Resolved, who’s won half of his 10 starts this season and finished second in the other half, will venture away from his home track of Woodbine Mohawk Park for the first time in his career for trainer John Bax.
The Ray Schnittker-trained King Of The North, the William Wellwood and Peter Haughton champion, suffered an interference break as the second choice in the wagering in the Mohawk Million but managed to rally and cash a fifth-place cheque.
The top three finishers from the three elims plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will qualify for the final. The winners will draw for post positions 1-5.
Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot
Elimination One:
1. Southwind Domino (Scott Zeron, Herbert Holland)
2. S I P (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
3. Testing Testing (David Miller, George Ducharme)
4. Letsdoit S (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander)
5. Temporal Hanover (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander)
6. Majestic J (David Miller, Tony Alagna)
7. Keg Stand (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter)
Elimination Two:
1. Cool Papa Bell (Tim Tetrick, Jim Campbell)
2. Slay (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
3. Duly Resolved (Paul MacDonell, John Bax)
4. Classic Hill (Scott Zeron, Marcus Melander)
5. Gigondas (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
6. World At War Deo (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
7. Rebuff (Tim Tetrick, Lucas Wallin)
8. Pretender (Andrew McCarthy, Nancy Takter)
Elimination Three:
1. Fast As The Wind (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna)
2. Branded By Lindy (Yannick Gingras, Domenico Cecere)
3. Threepointbluechip (James MacDonald, Jason McGinnis)
4. Double Deceiver (David Miller, Carter Pinske)
5. Periculum (Mattias Melander, Marcus Melander)
6. Robertsin (George Brennan, Nik Drennan)
7. Global Pandemic (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
8. King Of The North (Mark MacDonald, Ray Schnittker)
The colt and gelding pace attracted a total of 21 who will be split into three elims. Monte Miki, the Mark Evers trainee who pulled off a 15-1 upset in the Metro Pace after racing in 10th at the half, is one of a handful to watch in a highly competitive field.
True Blue Lindy (the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner), Pebble Beach (who won the Kentucky Sire Stakes title in 1:48.4) and Gulf Shores (the Ohio Sire Stakes champion) are others with solid resumes.
The top three finishers from the three elims plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will qualify for the final. The winners will draw for post positions 1-5.
Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace
Elimination One:
1. Lous Sassin (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
2. Caviart Camden (Yannick Gingras, Tony Alagna)
3. Hammering Hank (Dexter Dunn, Brett Pelling)
4. Market Based (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter)
5. Monte Miki (Scott Zeron, Mark Evers)
6. Gentle Giant (David Miller, Brian Brown)
7. Fourever Boy (Mike Wilder, Tim Twaddle)
Elimination Two:
1. True Blue Lindy (Tim Tetrick, Jeff Cullipher)
2. Beach Glass (Paul MacDonell, Brent MacGrath)
3. Six Feet Apart (Tim Tetrick, Brian Brown)
4. Birthday (Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke)
5. The Boss Said (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
6. I Did It Myway (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
7. Nautical Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
Elimination Three:
1. Atlas Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
2. Early Action (Brian Sears, Joe Holloway)
3. Pebble Beach (Todd McCarthy, Noel Daley)
4. Gulf Shores (David Miller, Brian Brown)
5. Loukes Perry (Joe Bongiorno, Ron Burke)
6. River Ness (David Miller, Ron Burke)
7. Fulfullnmydestiny (James Yoder, James Yoder)
SATURDAY ELIMS SET FOR AGES THREE-AND-UP CROWN HOPEFULS
Harness racing’s No. 1-ranked horse, Lyons Sentinel, and nine previous Breeders Crown champions will be in action Saturday afternoon when Breeders Crown eliminations for pacers and trotters ages three and older are held at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
The event for three-year-old female pacers as well as the Open Pace, Mare Pace, and Mare Trot each will have a single elimination. The events for three-year-old male pacers, three-year-old male trotters, and three-year-old female trotters each will have two elims. All eliminations will go for a purse of $25,000.
Winners of Saturday’s eliminations will draw for posts one through five for their respective final. The remaining finalists will participate in open draws for their starting positions.Eliminations are unnecessary in the Open Trot, with 11 older male trotters advancing directly to the $650,000 final. The 11 entrants are Amigo Volo, Back Of The Neck, Beads, Chin Chin Hall, supplement Ecurie D Dk, Forbidden Trade, Its Academic, Majestic Player A, Ready For Moni, Sermon, and Warrawee Roo.
Saturday’s 12-race card will begin at noon. The card for Breeders Crown finals for horses ages three and older, Oct. 30 at the Meadowlands, also will start at noon.
Four-year-old Lyons Sentinel was among 13 horses entered in the Mare Pace. Byes based on seasonal earnings were offered to reduce the elimination field to 10, with the connections of Drama Act, $31,250 supplemental entry Racine Bell, and So Much More accepting the opportunity to proceed directly to the $330,000 final. The connections of Lyons Sentinel, Rockin Nola, and Rocknificent declined byes.
Lyons Sentinel will bring a seven-race win streak to her Crown elim. Her victories include the Dayton Distaff Derby, Milton, Roses Are Red, Lady Liberty, and Clara Barton.
The elimination field also includes five-year-old Warrawee Ubeaut, a Breeders Crown champion at ages two and three, as well as Peaky Sneaky, who won last year’s final for three-year-old female pacers. The top-seven elimination finishers will join the bye recipients in the final.
Thirteen horses also were entered in the Open Pace. Byes were accepted by the connections of Allywag Hanover, Catch The Fire, and Ocean Rock. The connections of This Is The Plan, who leads all older pacers in purses with $784,269 this year, declined a bye.
The 10-horse elimination field also includes Dorsoduro Hanover, who won a Breeders Crown at age three in 2018. The top-seven finishers from the elim will advance to the $600,000 final.
Atlanta, whose 1:49 mile in her most recent start equaled history’s fastest mile by a female trotter, is among the horses in the single Mare Trot elimination. Her connections declined a bye, as did the connections of multiple Grand Circuit winner When Dovescry. The field also includes past Breeders Crown champs Next Level Stuff and Ramona Hill.
The connections of Hypnotic AM and Weslynn Quest accepted byes. Those two mares will be joined in the $300,000 final by the top-eight finishers from the elimination.
The only three-year-old event with a single elimination, for three-year-old female pacers, saw Test Of Faith, who is ranked No. 3 in the current Top 10, and Scarlett Hanover receive byes. The connections of returning Breeders Crown champion Fire Start Hanover, Grace Hill, and Blue Diamond Eyes declined a bye. The top-eight elimination finishers will advance to the $600,000 final.
In the following three-year-old events with two eliminations, the top-five finishers from each elim will advance to the final. The final for both the three-year-old male and female trotters will go for $650,000. The final for three-year-old male pacers is $600,000.
Perfect Sting, who is the leading money-winning horse in North America this season with $1,014,647 in the bank, was among 15 horses entered in the Breeders Crown for three-year-old male pacers. He also is among two returning champions in the event, having won the two-year-old final in a dead heat with Summa Cum Laude. It was the first dead heat for win in Crown history.
Summa Cum Laude and Perfect Sting drew into the first elimination, which also includes Tattersalls Pace winner Abuckabett Hanover. The second includes Carl Milstein Memorial winner Charlie May, Little Brown Jug winner Lou’s Pearlman, and Cane Pace champion Rockyroad Hanover.
Kentucky Futurity winner Jujubee, a $62,500 supplemental entry who is ranked No. 5 in the sport’s Top 10, was among 17 sophomore male trotters entered in the Breeders Crown and will race in the second elimination including Yonkers Trot winner Johan Palema. The first elimination features Canadian Trotting Classic winner Ahundreddollarbill.
The event for three-year-old female trotters attracted a total of 19 entries. Hambletonian Oaks winner Bella Bellini will race in the second elimination. The first elim includes $62,500 supplement Katies Lucky Day, who won the Kentucky Filly Futurity, and returning Breeders Crown champion Lady Chaos.
Following are Saturday’s Breeders Crown elimination fields in post order (with driver, trainer).
Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Elimination One:
1. Darlene Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Brett Bittle)
2. Splash Blue Chip (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt)
3. May Karp (Tim Tetrick, Lucas Wallin)
4. Iteration (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander)
5. Amazone Duharas (James MacDonald, Denis Gueriel)
6. Katies Lucky Day (Trevor Smith, Todd Luther)
7. Altar (Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter)
8. Anoka Hanover (Todd McCarthy, Noel Daley)
9. Lady Chaos (David Miller, Linda Toscano)
Elimination Two:
1. You Ato Dream (Jeff Gregory, Gregory)
2. Donna Soprano (Bob McClure, Luc Blais)
3. Shirley Goodness (Peter Wrenn, Melanie Wrenn)
4. Contested Hanover (Mark MacDonald, George Ducharme)
5. Mazzarati (Scott Zeron, Noel Daley)
6. Beltassima (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
7. Bella Bellini (Dexter Dunn, Richard 'Nifty' Norman)
8. Adirondack (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter)
9. Chablis (Scott Zeron, Jonas Czernyson)
10. Herculisa (Brett Miller, Virgil Morgan Jr.)
Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Trot
Elimination One:
1. Ambassador Hanover (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt)
2. Plumville Prince (Scott Zeron, Rick Zeron)
3. In Range (Tim Tetrick, Marcus Melander)
4. Ahundreddollarbill (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
5. Ritson (David Miller, Mark Steacy)
6. Locatelli (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter)
7. Logan Park (James MacDonald, Rob Fellows)
8. Fly Light (Dexter Dunn, Ake Svanstedt)
Elimination Two:
1. Jujubee (Andrew McCarthy, Greg Wright Jr.)
2. Johan Palema (Yannick Gingras, Ake Svanstedt)
3. Dancinginthedark M (Brian Sears, Marcus Melander)
4. Delayed Hanover (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt)
5. Cuatro De Julio (Lucas Wallin, Marie Ortolan Bar)
6. Rattle My Cage (Andy Miller, Ake Svanstedt)
7. Balenciaga (Mark MacDonald, Paul Kelley)
8. Spy Booth (Todd McCarthy, Katricia Adams)
9. Inaminute Hanover (Bob McClure, Luc Blais)
Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace
Elimination One:
1. Perfect Sting (David Miller, Joe Holloway)
2. Ill Drink To That (Todd McCarthy, Chris Ryder)
3. Chase H Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Scott Cox)
4. Mysweetboymax (Jason Bartlett, Sam DePinto)
5. Summa Cum Laude (Brian Sears, Ron Burke)
6. Southwind Petyr (Jason Bartlett, Mark Harder)
7. Abuckabett Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
8. Bayfield Beach (Joe Bongiorno, Ron Burke)
Elimination Two:
1. Southwind Gendry (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
2. Lous Pearlman (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
3. Rockyroad Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna)
4. Charlie May (Brett Miller, Steve Carter)
5. Heart Of Chewbacca (Dan Noble, Christi Noble)
6. Dean B Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Jeff Gillis)
7. Water Sports Teen (Joe Bongiorno, Jennifer Bongiorno)
Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Single Elimination:
1. Shezafreaklikeme (Todd McCarthy, Stacy Chiodo)
2. Think Of Galaxies (Mark MacDonald, John McDermott)
3. Grace Hill (Todd McCarthy, 'Nifty' Norman)
4. Mackie Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Tom Fanning)
5. Paulas Best Bet (Chris Page, Ron Burke)
6. Blue Diamond Eyes (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
7. Notorious Pink (Todd McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
8. Beach Crazy (Montrell Teague, Stacy Chiodo)
9. Marsala Hanover (Scott Zeron, Linda Toscano)
10. Fire Start Hanover (Dexter Dunn, 'Nifty' Norman)
Mare Pace
Single Elimination:
1. Warrawee Ubeaut (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
2. Sweet Lucy Lou (Todd McCarthy, Robert Cleary)
3. Peaky Sneaky (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter)
4. Rocknificent (Scott Zeron, Linda Toscano)
5. JK First Lady (Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter)
6. Rockin Nola (Joey Putnam, Joe Putnam)
7. Lyons Sentinel (Tim Tetrick, Jim King Jr.)
8. Treacherous Reign (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna)
9. Keep Rockin A (Andrew McCarthy, Nifty Norman)
10. Marloe Hanover (Dexter Dunn, Nifty Norman)
Mare Trot
Single Elimination:
1. Atlanta (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
2. Thankful NO (Trond Smedshammer, Trond Smedshammer)
3. Refined (TBA, Virgil Morgan Jr.)
4. Felicityshagwell S (Ake Svanstedt, Svanstedt)
5. Next Level Stuff (Tim Tetrick, Jim Campbell)
6. When Dovescry (David Miller, Brett Pelling)
7. May Baby (James Yoder, Yoder)
8. Absattitudexpress (Scott Zeron, Lucas Wallin)
9. Ramona Hill (Andrew McCarthy, Tony Alagna)
10. Sorella (Dexter Dunn, Nancy Takter)
Open Pace
Single Elimination:
1. Nicholas Beach (Joe Bongiorno, Jennifer Bongiorno)
2. Dorsoduro Hanover (TBA, Ron Burke)
3. Enavant (Bob McClure, Luc Blais)
4. Workin Ona Mystery (Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke)
5. Cattlewash (David Miller, Ron Burke)
6. Shake That House (Tim Tetrick, Tony Alagna)
7. Warrawee Vital (Trevor Henry, Rob Fellows)
8. This Is The Plan (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
9. Ruthless Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, Tom Cancelliere)
10. Captain Barbossa (Dexter Dunn, Tony Alagna)
The $6.6 million Breeders Crown series, which includes 12 championships, will be hosted by The Meadowlands with two-year-olds competing in their four finals on Friday, Oct. 29 and the eight three-year-old and open divisions scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30.
Eliminations for the two-year-old divisions will be held on Friday, Oct. 22 while eliminations for three-year-olds and up will be contested on Saturday, Oct. 23.
Post time for the Friday programs will be 6:20 p.m. while the Saturday cards will get underway at 12 noon.
(Breeders Crown)