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 The Breeders Crown trophy |
Harness racing's year-end championships, the Breeders Crown, takes place at Woodbine Racetrack this Saturday. Unlike its Thoroughbred counterpart, the Crown splits its events into two race dates. The older horses competed at the Meadowlands in the summer, while the 2 and 3 year olds compete in late October at Woodbine. Each age group - 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and open (older) - is further divided up into the two genders and the two standard gaits, pacing and trotting, such that a champion can be crowned in each division. With so many divisions, holding all the races on one card was not feasible hence the separation of the juveniles and sophomores from the elders.
The objectives of the Hambletonian Society mirror those of the Breeders' Cup - to create a major racing program to promote and benefit all sectors of the sport, and to stimulate public interest and awareness of the sport. As well, Breeders Crown winners are pretty much guaranteed a year-end championship in their divisions, as history dictates, just like Breeders' Cup winners usually win Eclipse Awards. Probably not coincidentally, both the Crown and the Cup both began in the same year, 1984, with the first Breeders Crown race run at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky.
 Special guest drawmaster and retired NHL star and former Toronto Maple Leaf Doug Gilmour (left) and harness driver Chris Christoforou at the post position draw. |
Unlike in Thoroughbred racing, the fields in major stakes races including the Breeders Crown are determined by elimination races run a week earlier. In a unique twist from most post position draws, for the Three-Year-Old Colt Pace and Three-Year-Old Filly Pace the elimination winners get to pick their posts first, and then the balance of the field is drawn at random. Normally the entire field, as determined by the eliminations, is drawn randomly, as was done for the rest of the Crown races to be run Saturday night.
 The top two finishers from the North America Cup will be back in the 3-year-old Colt Pace. Shown here at the finish of that race are Mantacular (outside, winner) and Metropolitan (inside, second). |
Eight will line up behind the gate in the $762,500 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace. The overwhelming favorite will be elimination winner Rainbow Blue who is an amazing 16 for 17 this year and 22 for 24 lifetime. Since fewer than the maximum field size entered this race, no elimination race was necessary here. Hoping to make a race of it is Glowing Report, the only milionnaire in the field with $1,062,078 in lifetime earnings to date, including a victory in the Jugette.
The richest race of the night is the $829,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace, with the faster of the two eliminations won by Allamerican Inca, who won by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:52. He is the 8-5 morning line favorite over the other elim winner, Shanghai Phil at 2-1. Also in the field is Metro Pace winner Rocknroll Hanover, who comes into the race with earnings of $688,275.
Here are the entries, post positions, and odds for all eight Breeders Crown races.
Race 2 -- Trot, purse $698,625 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 2 YEAR OLD FILLIES. U.S. PURSE $558,900. Post time: 07:45 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Twin B Senorita= R Schnittker P Doherty 20-1 2 Flirtin Miss J Campbell J Takter 4-1 3 Honour Way C Christoforou D Tingley 12-1 4 Ladymatic= G Brennan L Rathbone 20-1 5 Traci Spur= R Stillings C Stillings 12-1 6 Philhallmonic P Lachance R Laarman 25-1 7 Darling Monique D Irvine Jr J Cruise Jr 8-1 8 Strong Tea T Ritchie D Mcintosh 5-1 9 Solveig= D Miller J Takter 6-5 10 Seducer Hall R Pierce B Pelling 8-1 Race 3 -- Pace, purse $762,500 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLD FILLIES. U.S. PURSE $610,000. Post time: 08:12 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Rainbow Blue R Pierce G Teague 3-5 2 Apple Krisp L Ouellette J Stutzman 25-1 3 Teds Girl B Sears D Brunet 20-1 4 Armbro Bombay J Moiseyev R Mcintosh 15-1 5 Glowing Report G Brennan J Silverman 7-2 6 L Dees Val J Campbell M Capone 7-1 7 Invitro P Macdonell G Irwin 5-1 8 Pantidepressant(L) D Dube V Morgan Jr 20-1 Race 4 -- Pace, purse $721,000 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 2 YEAR OLD FILLIES. U.S. PURSE $576,800. Post time: 08:35 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Allamerican Coed G Brennan M Harder 20-1 2 Cabrini Hanover M Lachance J Takter 8-5 3 Savannah Sky P Macdonell C Ryder 4-1 4 Fast Ruffles R Pierce B Pelling 7-2 5 Show Time B Sears B Pelling 25-1 6 Crystal Slipper D Miller W Popfinger 15-1 7 Western Cruise S Condren R Mcintosh 15-1 8 Secret Deal J Campbell N Varty 30-1 9 Arts Bid A Morgan E Miller 8-1 10 Restive Hanover A Miller E Miller 5-1 AE1 Thereal Ideal J Campbell M Vanderkemp 25-1 AE2 Panne Ala Vodka D Dube B Magie 30-1 Race 5 -- Trot, purse $625,000 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLD COLTS. U.S. PURSE $500,000. Post time: 09:00 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Rocky Balboa= R Pierce B Pelling 5-2 2 Coventry(L) D Ackerman D Ackerman 10-1 3 Bertos Dream= Ra Waples C Campbell 20-1 4 Grand Sovereign= W Odonnell B Thorne 20-1 5 Photo Color J Campbell M Harder 15-1 6 Al Dente Hanover L Ouellette J Caraluzzi 10-1 7 Yankee Slide B Sears S Elliott 12-1 8 In Conchnito S Condren R Mcintosh 6-1 9 B Cor Kenny(L) D Daley D Daley 20-1 10 Cincinnati Kid T Ritchie H Lunde 10-1 11 Cantab Hall M Lachance R Gurfein 2-1 Race 6 -- Trot, purse $657,375 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 2 YEAR OLD COLTS. U.S. PURSE $525,900. Post time: 09:25 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Driven Sakra= D Dube B Magie 15-1 2 Southfork R Pierce B Pelling 7-1 3 Victory Photo Y Gingras D Swick 10-1 4 Gettindownanddirty P Macdonell P Wellwood 25-1 5 Travelin Lite J Campbell R Stewart 8-1 6 Musclesextrodinair B Sears B Pelling 8-1 7 Celebrity Master M Lachance D Daley 25-1 8 Ken Warkentin D Miller J Takter 3-5 9 Vino Camielle S Condren H Iversen 9-1 Race 7 -- Trot, purse $625,000 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLD FILLIES. U.S. PURSE $500,000. Post time: 09:50 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Mccall Magic S Condren Dr J Hayes 20-1 2 Mystical Sunshine P Macdonell C Ryder 15-1 3 Peaceful Way C Christoforou D Tingley 7-5 4 Housethatruthbuilt B Sears T Smedshammer 8-5 5 In The Shell L Ouellette J Czernyson 30-1 6 Bramasole E Ledford S Ledford 15-1 7 Blossom Seelster Do Brown M Etsell 25-1 8 Invincible Dream= R Pierce J Takter 20-1 9 Olympics J Campbell M Harder 7-1 10 Silver Springs G Brennan J Johnson 10-1 AE1 Have You Ever R Pierce J Takter 25-1 AE2 Funny Malentine J Campbell L Toscano 25-1 Race 8 -- Pace, purse $829,000 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 2 YEAR OLD COLTS. U.S. PURSE $663,200. Post time: 10:16 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Eleven A M K Wallis B Saunders 25-1 2 Shanghai Phil M Lachance R Jones 2-1 3 Allamerican Inca D Palone M Vanderkemp 8-5 4 Philosopher King G Brennan J Silverman 30-1 5 Roddys Bags Again C Christoforou J Stutzman 30-1 6 Pan Cartwright D Dube K Mcmaster 30-1 7 Dawn Ofa New Day J Campbell C Ryder 5-1 8 Speed Demon D Miller B Pelling 30-1 9 Village Jolt R Pierce E Hart 6-1 10 Rocknroll Hanover B Sears B Pelling 7-1 AE1 Beretta Hall D Miller M Harder 25-1 AE2 Tobruk R Mayotte R Atkin 30-1 Race 9 -- Pace, purse $693,750 BREEDERS CROWN - FINAL - 3 YEAR OLD COLTS. U.S. PURSE $555,000. Post time: 10:45 P.M. PP Horse Driver Trainer Odds 1 Armbro Baylor L Ouellette R Mcnair 30-1 2 Geartogear(L) R Pierce N Varty 8-5 3 Quik Pulse Mindale(L) A Morgan M Arnold 2-1 4 Panlubber(L) D Miller K Mcmaster 25-1 5 Metropolitan(L) J Campbell C Ryder 7-1 6 The Preacher Pan D Dube K Mcmaster 20-1 7 Mantacular M Lachance L Rathbone 20-1 8 Up Front Brad(L) D Palone M Ford 30-1 9 Holborn Hanover G Brennan M Harder 8-1 10 Western Terror(L) B Sears B Pelling 5-1More Breeders Crown info:
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