Lyons Sentinel is the No. 1 ranked horse in harness racing, but she is still looking to solve the Breeders Crown.
In fact, she enters Saturday afternoon’s $330,000 Mare Pace at The Meadowlands attempting to capture her first Breeders Crown final.
The four-year-old finished the finals second by a neck at age two; second by a quarter-length at age three; and was also third in last week’s elimination after winning seven straight.
Nonetheless, trainer Jim King Jr. is looking forward to Saturday afternoon and hopes to put the Breeders Crown past behind him.
“I’m not happy about losing, but I thought she went a tremendous mile,” King said after Lyons Sentinel was third in the Mare Pace’s single elimination, beaten a length by Rocknificent in 1:48.4. “She was out a long ways, got flushed early. They went big around the turn and by the time they got down to the wire, she was coming again.
“So, I’m not displeased at all. I don’t feel at all discouraged about how things will go (this) week. I’m just glad we didn’t draw the 10 hole. Our being here (for the elimination) was all about the draw. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don’t.”
Breeders Crown elimination winners got to draw for a starting spot in posts one through five as the reward for their victory. Lyons Sentinel will race out of post three Saturday and is the 5-2 morning-line favourite despite her elim setback. Rocknificent got post one and is the 3-1 second choice.
Racing begins at noon Saturday at the Big M and features eight Breeders Crown finals for horses ages three and up.
Lyons Sentinel, a daughter of Captaintreacherous out of Tutu Hanover, has won 21 of 44 races and more than $2 million in her career. This year she has hit the board in 13 of 16 races, with nine firsts, a second and three thirds good for $664,658 in earnings.
Driven by Tim Tetrick, Lyons Sentinel had a qualifier leading up to the elimination. She won in 1:53.1 with a :26 final quarter.
“That’s not the same (as racing),” said King, who won a Crown with Shartin N in 2018. “But this (elimination) is a good mile under her and I’m coming to win this week. I hope it happens. Trips make all the difference.
“It was a tough go, but that’s OK; one of her best miles was the last time she got beat. It was out of the 10 hole right here (in the Dorothy Haughton Memorial), and she raced a tremendous mile and ended up fourth. I don’t know if she was ever better than that.”
Rocknificent, who finished second to Lyons Sentinel five times this year before beating her in the elimination, is trained by Linda Toscano and driven by Scott Zeron. She has four wins, eight seconds and $395,780 in earnings this year.
“(Her elimination) was exactly the race you would love to see her get,” said Toscano, who has won seven Breeders Crown trophies. “She didn’t have to be used too hard, she just did her normal leave, and she got a great trip behind a horse that carried her.
“It worked out really well for us for a change because (Lyons Sentinel) is so monstrously good. She was just a little too far back and we were able to take advantage of the situation.”
And while winning was nice, it was the performance that had the trainer really smiling.
“Obviously, you’re always happy when you win a Breeders Crown elimination,” Toscano said. “But I was more thrilled for that mare because she just comes back every week and gives us her best effort. I was tickled she could win. Scott has done an amazing job with her. He loves her and she goes so well for him.”
Despite the horse finally beating her nemesis, Toscano is not predicting victory on Saturday.
“It would be fun, but I don’t for one minute discount how great Lyons Sentinel is,” she said. “I know how good she is.”
Peaky Sneaky will take aim on a second straight Breeders Crown trophy after winning last year’s race for three-year-old female pacers. She has yet to win this year, taking three seconds and five thirds while earning $96,452 in 14 starts. For her career she has won $745,171 in 39 starts, winning eight.
The horse finished second for trainer Nancy Takter and driver Dexter Dunn in the elimination and is 5-1 out of post two. She will have to overcome not only her rivals on Saturday, but history as well. No female pacer has ever won the Breeders Crown at both ages 3 and 4.
“I’m happy with how she raced,” Takter said. “She finished really good. She was good with pace. She likes to race in the fall. She likes the Breeders Crown. Hopefully, she likes the Breeders Crown (this) week. I’m super happy with her.”
Two horses received byes into the final, Racine Bell, who was supplemented to the race for $32,500, and Drama Act.
Racine Bell has 11 wins, six seconds and four thirds in 23 starts for trainer David Dewhurst and has banked $253,910 this season. Ron Burke’s Drama Act has 12 wins, a second and third in 18 starts and has earned $155,280.
The Breeders Crown Mare Pace is race nine Saturday, the sixth of the eight Breeders Crown finals. To view the full entries for Saturday's Breeders Crown card of harness racing at The Meadowlands, click one of the following links: Saturday Entries ♔ Saturday Program Pages.
(USTA)