Entries for the $6 million Breeders Crown events saw 161 elite trotters and pacers fill the entry box to qualify for the lucrative finals on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31.
2018 Hambletonian winner Atlanta has entered the Open Trot, vying to become just the fourth mare to beat male counterparts in this event. The Indiana-bred Hannelore Hanover won the 2017 Breeders Crown Trot at Hoosier Park, while Moni Maker (1998) and CR Kay Suzie (1996) are the other two 'Crowned' mares.
There were 61 two-year-olds entered, forcing $25,000 eliminations in all divisions for Friday, October 23 with every two-year-old final have a purse of $600,000.
Metro Pace winner Exploit heads into the first elimination of the Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace against Southwind Gendry, the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes champ who rides in on a six-race win streak. Exploit, scoring a 35-1 in the marquee Canadian event for freshmen pacing males, will start from post 7 for trainer Tony Alagna off a fifth-place finish in a division of the International Stallion Stakes. Southwind Gendry draws post 2 in the eight-horse affair with Yannick Gingras slated to drive for trainer Ron Burke.
Joe Holloway’s magnum opus Perfect Sting starts from post 4 in the second elimination of the Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. The colt by Always B Miki-Shebestingin puts an eight-race win streak on the line against Ron Burke trainee Summa Cum Laude, who has finished runner-up to Perfect Sting in his last two starts, as well as Abuckabett Hanover, the Metro Pace favourite who will try again to rebound into the winner’s circle for trainer Tony Alagna. Metro Pace elim winner Highlandbeachsbest and Metro Pace runner-up Bayfield Beach also compete in the second elim.
The freshmen pacing fillies compete in back-to-back eliminations on Friday with Caviart Audrey facing off against local star Somethingbeautiful—the Dylan Davis-trained Always A Virgin filly who has won all but one race from nine starts. Nancy Takter conditions Caviart Audrey, who has wins in the Eternal Camnation, Champlain and Shes A Great Lady to her credit, and will send the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Darlins Delight from post 2. Davis will send Somethingbeautiful from post 3.
Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner Scarlett Hanover strides into the second elimination of the Two-Year-Old Filly Pace against Kentucky Sires Stakes winners Blue Diamond Eyes and Shes A Great Lady runner-up Notorious Pink. Scarlett Hanover, trained by Ron Burke, competes from post 4 while Notorious Pink starts from post 2 and Blue Diamond Eyes goes from post 6.
Following the pacing contests, freshmen trotting colts and geldings compete in the first elimination for their division. On A Streak, winner of the William Wellwood Memorial, draws post 1 for trainer Luc Blais off a third-place finish in the Mohawk Million. He draws inside of a pair of Marcus Melander trainees—Moonstone S, the Peter Haughton Memorial runner-up who starts from post 3, and In Range, the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes runner-up who starts from post 7. Kentucky upstart Cuatro De Julio also starts in the first elimination with Louis Baudron, grandson of Jean Pierre Dubois, driving the Marie Ortolan Bar trainee from post 5.
Mohawk Million champ Venerate competes in the second elimination and will try for redemption after breaking stride at the top of the stretch in a world-record mile at Lexington. The Julie Miller trainee starts from post 4 flanked by Zenith Stride, winner of the Peter Haughton Memorial, and Dancinginthedark M, entering off a win in the Bluegrass Stakes. Also entered in the second elim is Captain Corey, the Googoo Gaagaa colt trained by Ake Svanstedt who enters unbeaten from five starts.
Donna Soprano, winner of the Peaceful Way and runner-up in the Mohawk Million, starts from post 2 in the opening elimination for the Two-Year-Old Filly Trot. The Luc Blais trainee draws outside of You Ato Dream—the Jeff Gregroy-trained Donato Hanover filly who has seven second-place finishes on her nine-race resume—and inside of New York Sires Stakes champ Iteration, the Marcus Melander-trained Chapter Seven filly entering off a win in the International Stallion Stakes.
A nine-horse field gathers for the second elimination. Indiana Sires Stakes winner Swift Swanda starts from post 4 against Flawless Country, an Ake Svanstedt-trained Southwind Frank filly off a victory in the International Stallion Stakes, and Kentucky Sires Stakes champ Lady Chaos. Bluegrass division winners Hello I Love You, Presto and Pub Crawl also compete in the second elim.
Party Girl Hill returns to her division in the first elimination of the Three-Year-Old Filly Pace. The Chris Ryder-trained Captaintreacherous filly enters unbeaten from 13 starts with her most recent victory coming against the boys in a $239,500 division of the Tattersalls Pace. She starts from post 6 in the six-horse field in a field including Reflect With Me—looking to rebound off a loss in stride in the Glen Garnsey Memorial—Peaky Sneaky—off back-to-back victories in Grand Circuit action at Lexington—and Rocknificent.
Millionaire Lyons Sentinel starts from post 2 in the second elimination off a 1:49.2 victory as the 6-5 favourite in a $112,500 division of the Glen Garnsey Memorial. Conditioned by Jim King Jr., the Captaintreacherous filly competes against Kentucky Sires Stakes winner Baby Your The Best, New York Sires Stakes champ Hen Party, Pennsylvania Sires Stakes runner-up JK First Lady and Indiana Sires Stakes champ Priceless.
The first elimination for the Three-Year-Old Filly Trot features Sorella, entering off a third-place finish in the Kentucky Filly Futurity. Winner of the Hambletonian Oaks, Sorella starts from post 6 against Sister Sledge, the Ron Burke-trained Father Patrick filly who earlier this year tried her hands against open competition in the Hambletonian, and Hypnotic AM, who overcame post 10 but got nailed at the finish of the Kentucky Filly Futurity. Local star May Baby also races in the first elimination, entering off a 1:52.2 victory in the Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final.
Sophomore trotting fillies cap the first evening of eliminations with Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill starting from post 6 following a last-place finish in the Kentucky Filly Futurity. The Tony Alagna-trained Muscle Hill filly starts inside of Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Love A Good Story and alongside Pennsylvania Sires Stakes champ Crucial.
There were 61 three-year-olds entered, forcing $25,000 eliminations in all divisions: fillies on Friday, October 23 and colts on Saturday, October 24. All three-year-old finals have a purse of $500,000.
Glamour boys kick off the Saturday eliminations with eight aligning for the first pacing division. World champion Cattlewash, pacing a 1:46.4 mile the first week of Grand Circuit racing at Lexington, starts from post 1 off a fifth-place finish in a $239,500 division of the Tattersalls. Capt Midnight, runner-up to Party Girl Hill in the Tattersalls, starts alongside Catch The Fire, who finished third to Tall Dark Stranger in the Tattersalls. Pennsylvania Sires Stakes champ No Lou Zing also starts in the first elim from post 8 for trainer Nancy Takter.
Tall Dark Stranger leads the second elimination. The Bettors Delight colt nears $2 million in earnings for trainer Nancy Takter with 10 victories from 11 starts and will start from post 2. Bluegrass winner Warrawee Vital also starts in the second elim, drawing post 5 for trainer Rob Fellows and inside of world champion Elver Hanover and Captain Kirk—the Tony Alagna-trained Captaintreacherous colt who is the only horse to beat Tall Dark Stranger this year. Little Brown Jug winner Captain Barbossa also starts in the second elim.
A single elimination goes for pacing mares with Rockin Nola and Trillions Hanover receiving byes. Shartin N will try to get back on track following two-straight losses, her most recent coming in a Preferred Pace at the Meadowlands. Nancy Takter trainee Kissin In The Sand starts from post 9 on a four-race win streak while Brett Pelling trainee Caviart Ally competes from post 4.
Glamour boy trotters wrap Breeders Crown eliminations with back-to-back dashes towards the tail of the Saturday card. Ready For Moni fronts the first elimination as the Ready Cash colt tries to bounce back off consecutive losses, one coming as the favourite in the Canadian Trotting Classic and the other from the second tier in the Kentucky Futurity. Chestnut Hill, longshot winner of the Canadian Trotting Classic, competes from post 8 while Kentucky Futurity runner-up EL Ideal draws the pylon post.
Kentucky Futurity champ Amigo Volo starts from post 5 in the second elimination. The newly-minted millionaire draws in against the Ake Svanstedt-trained trio of Back Of The Neck (odds-on favourite in the Kentucky Futurity who lost stride and finished last), King Alphonso and Jula Trix Treasure. New York Sires Stakes champ Hobbs and Kentucky Sires Stakes champ Beads also compete in the second elimination.
Three Breeders Crown finals saw enough entrants to warrant horses going straight to final. The Mare Trot attracted eight competitors for the $300,000 final while both the Breeders Crown Trot and Breeders Crown Pace drew 10 for their respective $500,000 finals.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will host the 2020 Breeders Crown finals on Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31, with limited spectators, in accordance with the approved health and safety plan for the event. The 2020 Breeders Crown event, presented by The Libfeld-Katz Breeding Partnership, will be the 37th edition of the $6 million event. First post for the Breeders Crown eliminations will be at 6:30 p.m. (EST), while post time for the Breeders Crown finals will be at 6:00 p.m. (EST).
For more information on the upcoming Breeders Crown events or live racing schedule, please visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.
(with files from Breeders Crown)
Party Girl Hill has drawn the
Party Girl Hill has drawn the outside 6 post in the more difficult 3yopf division. If she's going to remain undefeated, she's going to have to beat the likes of Peaky Sneaky and Reflect With Me.