John Street North - 2CP
bay colt, by Precious Bunny
The 1995 freshman pace program pages featured the offspring of first crop sires Precious Bunny and Die Laughing, reminders of the thrilling year 1991, when those two performers, (along with Artsplace) slugged it out race after race. Also represented in the 19 entrants were sons of 1990 Breeders Crown champ Beach Towel, 1989 Crown champion Matt’s Scooter, and the most volatile entrant of all -- JFK -- a product of 1984 Breeders Crown champion Dragon’s Lair and double Crown winner Miss Easy.
Bob McIntosh first drew real attention to his ability with stakes colts at Garden State Park in 1986, when his lightly-regarded Sunset Warrior stole the richest Crown colt pace of all time, an event worth $819,600. He has won eight subsequent titles, winning at least one in every pacing division the Crown series offered. Now he was back at that same racetrack with Live Or Die, fresh from a world record effort in Lexington. The son of Die Laughing was manhandled throughout his elimination mile but still hung on to best John Street North by a neck.
Oye Vay, a mere $10,000 yearling served up notice by winning the other elimination, by a head over the $190,000 yearling purchase, Arizona Jack. Missing form the race all together was A Studnamed Sue, an astonishing two-year-old who swept the Woodrow Wilson and The Metro Final, racking up more than $800,000 in 12 starts. A Studnamed Sue had come down with a virus, and his trainer felt there was not enough time for him to recover completely if the colt had to race in Breeders Crown eliminations.
A torrential downpour accompanied the colts to post, and the track condition had deteriorated considerably, as strong winds ripped across the expanse of the mile oval. Hunch bettors were pounding away on Cloudburst Hanover (and entry with Sports Town), while the hedge bettors loaded up on Live Or Die and the Robinson stable entry of Oye Vay and John Street North.
Surprisingly, when the gate sprung open, Beach Ray, driven by Doug Brown seized the lead immediately and was not challenged. JFK made a break, and was no factor. Beach Ray cut a panel in 28:4 through the slop and reached the half in an unhurried :57.4.
Arizona Jack had dropped in behind Beach Ray but was not keeping in contact with him, forcing Live Or Die to blaze his own path to the lead in an attempt to take it from Beach Ray at the half mile. Beach Ray caved in at the threat from Live Or Die, but behind teamster Steve Condren and Live Or Die lurked John Street North, with plenty of fresh pace and driver Jack Moiseyev asking him repeatedly to use it now. John Street North paced smartly by a tiring Live Or Die, using the momentum to notch a two and a half length sweep, in 1:53.3. Sports Town surged by Live Or Die in the last steps to be second.
Instead, R. Peter Heffering, a former cattle magnate turned standardbred owner and breeder, enjoyed his second Crown trophy of the season. After finishing second four times in the five years he’d put entrants in the series, an overlooked roan gelding named Panifesto gave him his first win at Delaware, Ohio in September. Now one of Heffering’s first purchases, Precious Bunny, was repeating the pleasure for him. Precious Bunny had been named Horse of the Year in 1991 and recorded $2.2 million in earnings along the way. Ineligible to the Crown series, Precious Bunny atoned by having a son of his do the honors for him. Driver Jack Moiseyev upped his Crown total to two trophies, both with two-year-old colt pacers trained by Bill Robinson, both at his home tracks of Freehold and Garden State Park. The mighty Robinson Stable would end the year with $1.5 million in earnings from the Crown series.
A Studnamed Sue took divisional honors, but John Street North turned a dark and stormy night into a joyous celebration. Breeders Crown
Purse $550,000
Garden State Park, Cherry Hill, NJ - October 20, 1995
The 1995 Breeders Crown Final for 2 Year Old Colt Pacers from Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, ON won by John Street North
Extras
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