Captain Crunch - 2CP
Owners
3 Bros, Christina Takter, Rojan & Caviart Farms
Trainer | Driver
Nancy Johansson | Scott Zeron
by Frank Cotolo, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA – Scott Zeron drove Captain Crunch to a definitive 3-length win in the $600,000 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Pace Final at The Downs at Mohegan Pocono on Oct. 27.
The time for the mile on the track rated “sloppy” was 1:51.3.
From the far outside, Blood Money left with Captain Crunch, followed by Captain Trevor and flushing to the outside, Proof took an early shot at challenging. The first quarter was clocked in :26.4 as Proof took the lead into the half.
Proof rolled to a :55.1 half with Captain Crunch sitting in the cat-bird seat as Captain Trevor went first over, aiming at the top two inside. No Mas Amor went three-wide in an attempt to charge late.
Three-quarters went in 1:23.2.
With a clear path to come out of the pocket, Zeron guided Captain Crunch into the second lane and the son of Captaintreacherous—Sweet Paprika (by Artiscape) catapulted past Proof and extended his winning lead to 3 lengths in 1:51.3.
Proof held on for second, Love Me Some Lou passed tired ones to catch the third spot and No Mas Amor was fourth.
Nancy Johansson trains Captain Crunch for owner Rojan Stables, Caviart Farms, 3 Brothers Stables and Christine Takter. The colt was bred by Walnridge Farms and Sherri K. Meirs.
The win was driver Scott Zeron’s second in a Breeders Crown Final.
Extras
Dorsoduro Hanover - 3CP
Owners
Burke Racing, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, Weaver-Bruscemi, Wingfield Five
Trainer | Driver
Ron Burke | Matt Kakaley
by Frank Cotolo, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA – Racing his most impressive mile of the season, Dorsoduro Hanover stormed to the lead and continued to draw off to a 4 ¼-length win in 1:49.4 on the “sloppy” surface of The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Oct. 27 in the $530,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Pace Final.
It was a wild shuffle from the start as This Is The Plan left best early, only to be hunted down while struggling in a :26.1 first quarter. The pace was forced early as American History took a shot on the outside as Thinkbig Dreambig challenged to get a strong position and Grand Teton was poised to move.
The :53.4 half was burning some horseflesh, so Matt Kakaley steered Dorsoduro Hanover around them all, taking the lead on his outside brush and blasting through three-quarters in 1:21.3.
The other giant move was coming down for Lather Up, who went three-wide to pass the early battling group.
Once on the engine, however, Dorsoduro Hanover used all six cylinders to repel all others except Lather Up, who was relentlessly forging down the stretch, though futilely, after Dorsoduro Hanover.
The smashing victory, a sub-1:50 mile in the muck, was far ahead of Lather Up, who took second passing a tired, stuffed-on-the-inside This Is The Plan. Shnitzledosomethin managed to get fourth.
Ron Burke trains the sophomore colt by Somebeachsomewhere—Deep Valley Miss (by Artsplace). Burke Racing Stable, Silva, Purnel and Libby, Weaver Bruscemi and Wingfield Five own Dorsoduro Hanover.
Hanover Shoe Farms bred the winner.
It was the 10th win in 18 starts this season for Dorsoduro Hanover, who paid $6.00 to win.
Extras
Emoticon Hanover - Mare Trot
Owners
Determination
Trainer | Driver
Luc Blais | Dan Dube
By Ellen Harvey, For The Breeders Crown
Emoticon Hanover (Daniel Dube) went back to back with Breeders Crown trophies to win the $250,000 race on a sloppy track by three-quarters of a length on Saturday night.
Caprice Hill (Brian Sears) was on the lead at the first :27.1 quarter, before being quickly overtaken by Ariana G (Yannick Gingras) just past that milestone. Ariana G held the lead to the :56.4 half, trailed by Emoticon Hanover and Broadway Donna.
Broadway Donna was up to engage her on the outside just past the half, but Ariana G held that lead to the 1:25.2 three quarters before Ice Attraction came up on the outside to make a try for the lead. While those two were looking for the finish line, Emoticon Hanover came charging on the outside to pass them both for the win in 1:54.1
The winner is trained by Luc Blais and owned by Determination. Ice Attraction was second, and Caprice Hill was third.
"She's nice right now, she's good," said winning trainer Daniel Dube. "We went to the passing lane last week, we went to the outside today. She does everything right, she is more relaxed. She is a special mare.”
Extras
Gimpanzee - 2CT
Owners
Courant Inc & S R F Stable
Trainer | Driver
Marcus Melander | Brian Sears
by Keith Gisser, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA - Brian Sears piloted favored Gimpanzee to a 2½ length victory in the $600,000 two-year-old Breeders Crown Colt Trot, with an effortless 1:54.4 win. Stablemate Green Manalishi S was second and longshot Hudson River finished third. Marcus Melander trains the top two finishers.
Melander was very pleased with Gimpanzee, saying, "It feels great, of course. He's like an aged horse, you can do whatever you want with him in a race. He's got a lot of stamina and a lot of speed and everything went well. I thought he raced great. I couldn't be more happy with the year."
“It’s not over until it’s over but the horse has showed up all year,” added Sears. “He just knows how to do his job and got it done again tonight, figured I'd take my shot on the front.”
Gimpanzee got the early lead but yielded to Green Manalishi S just before the 27-second quarter mile marker. Sears had the son of Chapter Seven out and moving at the three-eighths and the race was for all intents and purposes over. He cruised through a leisurely 57.3 half mile and 1:26.3 three-quarter marks before sprinting home in 28.1, fending off a mild challenge from Green Manalishi S entering the stretch.
Gimpanzee’s dam is the Muscle Massive mare Steamy Windows. He finishes his two-year-old campaign with a perfect nine-for-nine record, while banking nearly $600,000. Bred by Order By Stable, he is owned by Courant Inc. and S R F Stable, both of Delray Beach, Florida.
In taking the Bill Weaver Memorial Trophy, Gimpanzee paid $3.00 to win. The Melander-trained exacta paid $12.40.
Extras
Homicide Hunter - Open Trot
Owners
Crawford Farms Racing
Trainer | Driver
Chris Oakes | George Napolitano
by Ellen Harvey, For The Breeders Crown
Homicide Hunter (George Napolitano Jr.) slipped up the passing lane to pass Top Flight Angel (Andy Miller) to win the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Trot in 1:52.3 on sloppy track.
Homicide Hunter is trained By Chris Oakes and owned by Crawford Farms Racing.
Top Flight Angel led off the gate and hit the first quarter in :27, followed by Homicide Hunter along the rail. Those two led the field to the :55.3 half and on to the 1:24 three-quarter marker. In sight of the finish line, Homicide Hunter, trailing the leader, angled to the inside passing lane and overtook Top Flight Angel to win by about a length.
It was the first Breeders Crown win for Napolitano. "Wow. Words can’t even explain it," he said. “It’s unbelievable. I am so grateful. It’s a pretty simple track to drive on, and I have the right people beside me.” On if trainer Chris Oakes had any words for him before the race, Napolitano said, “Nothing. Chris didn’t say a word. He knows I know this horse and I know the track. I usually win the four claimers, not the Breeders Crown.”
Top Flight Angel was second and Warrawee Roo was third. The winner returned $10.20 to win, $5.20 to place, and $4.00 to show.
Extras
Lily Stride - 3FT
Owners
Emilio & Maria Rosati
Trainer | Driver
Mark Harder | Tim Tetrick
by Keith Gisser, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA - The $500,000 three-year-old Breeders Crown Filly Trot figured to be a battle among Atlanta, currently top-ranked in the sport’s top ten poll, Manchego (seventh), and Phaetosive. However, longshot Lily Stride, at 31-1, had other ideas and pulled the upset in the $500,000 event, winning in 1:53.2. Lily Stride paid $65.40 to her backers.
Plunge Blue Chip pressured favored Atlanta early, but she cleared to the lead at the 26.4 quarter. She was immediately pressured by Manchego, who was followed by Phaetosive in the outside flow. Atlanta posted fractions of 54.2 and 1:23.4 as Manchego tired and Phaetosive moved three-wide. Meanwhile, Plunge Blue Chip moved outside, opening up the passing lane for Lily Stride and Tim Tetrick, who posted his second consecutive Crown win on the evening.
The win over the sloppy surface did not surprise driver Tim Tetrick, who said, “Ever since the first week of Lexington she’s really been charging. She got taken out in the (Kentucky) Futurity Final, or she would have been second or third, and last week came home in 27.1. I thought she was setting on a good race. I’m really surprised she paid 31-1. They all went to the outside and we took a shortcut, which I have been doing with her the last few starts. The track is holding up really well. The footing is good.”
Harder, who posted his first Breeders Crown win, said the filly’s season is not over. “The monkey off my back is great. You know, I am really happy to do it with this filly because the group she hit this year are great, great fillies. I thought I had a great, great filly until I qualified her and these other ones started showing up and they are vicious, they’re really tough. She’s going to go down under and the owners will race her down there, which will be, you know, a feather in their cap, to race a Breeders Crown winner.”
Owned by Emilio and Maria Roasti of Condell Park, New South Wales, Australia, Lily Stride is a bay filly by Muscle Hill from the Donato Hanover mare Sterling Volo. Bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Jorgen Jahre, Jr., Lily Stride posted her 12th career victory as she claimed the John Simpson Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Hanover Shoe Farms, and pushed her career earnings over $700,000.
Extras
McWicked - Open Pace
Owners
S S G Stable
Trainer | Driver
Casie Coleman | Brian Sears
By Keith Gisser, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA - Favored McWicked ($3.80) moved to the lead at the five-eighths pole, easily putting away Lazarus N and then opening to win by four comfortable lengths in 1:49.3. Brian Sears drove McWicked for trainer Casie Coleman, as he won his second Breeders Crown trophy. Early leader Filibuster Hanover rallied for second, while Donttellmeagain finished third. Mcwicked has now earned over $3.7 million in his career after posting his 24th career win.
“He’s real easy to drive and he does everything you want. It’s great to have the opportunity to drive such nice horses,” said Sears, who won three Breeders Crown races Saturday night.
“I always think he’s gonna be good, but to think he is going to do what he did this year… I think he is better now than he was at three. He is a big team effort no doubt. I hope he is going to race next year, but that is not my call. It is up to Mr. James (owner Edward James of the SSG Stables.) I think he will be at stud, but I hope he will race, our team would really like that,” explained trainer Casie Coleman.
Filibuster Hanover took the field to the quarter in 26.1, but Lazarus N was immediately out and winging, taking the field past the half in 55.2. McWicked pulled up the backside and easily disposed of his challenger, rolling past three-quarters in 1:21.2 before Sears took his foot off the gas in the stretch.
McWicked is a seven-year-old bay horse by McArdle, out of the Western Ideal mare Western Sahara. He was bred by Andray Farm of Punxutawney, Pennsylvania.
Extras
Percy Blue Chip - 3FP
Owners
Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Purnel & Libby, D Emond
Trainer | Driver
Ron Burke | Matt Kakaley
52-1 Percy Blue Chip (Matt Kakaley) took advantage of a speed duel and was the winner of the $500,000 Breeders Crown for three-year-old filly pacers on Saturday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. It was a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2 over a sloppy track.
Percy Blue Chip is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Dandy Farm, Silva, Purnel and Libby.
Youaremycandygirl (Yannick Gingras) was first to the lead at the :25.4 first quarter and was soon joined by Kissin In The Sand (Scott Zeron) on the outside, who applied pressure to the :53.3 half and the 1:22.2 three-quarters.
As the field turned for home, those two were still on the lead, but were overtaken by Percy Blue Chip, who'd been second-over throughout most of the race and went three-wide to win by three-quarters of a length.
The daughter of Shadow Play paid $106.00, $22.80 and $11.00 for the win. Kissin In The Sand was second and Dance Blue was third.
It was the first Breeders Crown win for Matt Kakaley, who dropped his whip at the top of the stretch, but clearly didn't need it.
"It’s amazing," he said. "Absolutely amazing. You know the only way I could win was if they duked it out on the lead, like that. I actually dropped my whip at the head of the stretch. I just put my nose on Scotty’s (Zeron) helmet. She came home good. Down the backside I thought I had a good shot."
Extras
Shartin N - Mare Pace
Owners
Richard Poilluci & Joann Looney-King
Trainer | Driver
Jim King Jr. | Tim Tetrick
by Frank Cotolo, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA – Shartin N, aggressively driven by Tim Tetrick, won the $270,000 Breeders Crown Mares Pace Final at The Downs at Mohegan Sun on Oct. 27.
The time for the mile was 1:52 over the “sloppy” track.
Supplemented to the race, the New Zealand-bred five-year-old mare Shartin N, by Tintin In America—Bagdarin, flew from the wings of the gate and denied the lead from a quick-leaving Twinkle. Call Me Queen Be took a spot in third on the inside while outside-launching Caviart Ally got the fourth spot.
Shartin N cut the first quarter in :26.1 as Twinkle drafted behind her.
Heading for a :54.3 half, Lakeisha Hall made a bid that brought her close to the leader, but she could not get farther from there. Caviart Ally took a shot three-wide, chasing Shartin N in a brisk 1:23 three-quarters.
Twinkle was stuffed on the inside and Pure Country began to make an impression closing as Caviart Ally pushed Shartin N to her limit. This was enough to get over the finish line first in 1:52. Pure Country made it into the show spot behind Caviart Ally.
Jim King Jr. trains Shartin N for owners Richard Pollucci and Jo Ann Looney. She paid $3.00, $2.20, and $2.10.
Extras
Tactical Landing - 3CT
Owners
Andrea Lea Rcg Stb TThe Tactical Landing Stable
Trainer | Driver
Jimmy Takter | Brian Sears
by Keith Gisser, for The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA - The track at Mohegan Sun Pocono may have been sloppy but the effort from Tactical Landing was pretty neat as he took the $500,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Trot in a speedy 1:52.1. Brian Sears got Tactical Landing away second as Met’s Hall took the field to the quarter in 27.1, but he cruised to the front en route to the 55.4 half mile marker. Tactical Landing hit three-quarters in 1:23.4 and drew off from Met’s Hall and Crystal Fashion in the stretch, winning by open lengths. Met’s Hall and Crystal Fashion were second and third, respectively. The presumptive favorite, Six Pack, was scratched from the race due to sickness.
Hall of Famer Jimmy Takter, who is retiring at the end of this season, trains Tactical Landing for the Tactical Landing Stable of Perrysburg, Ohio. An $800,000 yearling, the son of Muscle Hill from the Varenne mare Southwind Serena, was bred by Steve Stewart, Black Creek Farm and Andrea Lea Racing Stables. He has now earned $644,300 in his career as he won for the eighth time. The win was the second Crown title of the night for driver Sears.
Takter was pleased, but philosophical in the winner’s circle. “This horse, he's been battling a lot of issues. I have trained a lot of great horses, but the way he carries himself in this weather, I know he's by far the best three-year-old out there. I know Six Pack is a good horse, and it’s too bad he got sick, but he would not have a shot with this horse. This horse is a level above anything. This was number 34 (Breeders Crown win), and I was very nervous going into it. This is my last year so I'd like to get at least one Crown before I get out of here.”
In taking home the John Cashman Jr. Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Brittany Farms, favored Tactical Landing paid $2.80 to win.
Extras
Warrawee Ubeaut - 2FP
Owners
Burke Rcng, Collura, Silva-Purnel-Libby & Weaver-Bruscemi
Trainer | Driver
Ron Burke | Yannick Gingras
by Ellen Harvey, For The Breeders Crown
Warrawee Ubeaut and driver Yannick Gingras held off last second chargers to win the $600,000 Breeders Crown for Two-Year-Old pacing fillies on Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
On the sloppy track, the leader at the first quarter was Queen of the Pride (Tony Hall) at :26.2 who was soon overtaken by St Somewhere (Matt Kakaley) and then by Warrawee Ubeaut at the :54.2 half.
Gingras kept the daughter of Sweet Lou on the lead through the 1:22.4 three-quarters and was on the lead in deep stretch when she was threatened by encroaching Prescient Beauty (Doug McNair) on the inside and Zero Tolerance (David Miller) on the outside.
The margin of victory was a half-length, Zero Tolerance was second and Prescient Beauty third. The winner returned $4.00, $3.00, and $2.40.
Warrawee Ubeaut is trained by Ron Burke for owners Burke Racing, Phil Collura, J. and T. Silva, Purnell and Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi.
"Last week I drove her about as bad as a horse could be driven," said Gingras. "I told the girl who looks after her I'll get the job done this week. I was very confident. The race didn't play out the way I thought it would, but we just moved with the flow. It's unfortunate [the bad weather], but it is what it is, we're all racing in the same conditions and usually the cream rises to the top.”
Extras
Woodside Charm - 2FT
by Frank Cotolo, For The Breeders Crown
Wilkes-Barre, PA – Verlin Yoder drove Woodside Charm to a 1:54.1 win in the Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Trot Final at The Downs at Mohegan Pocono on Oct. 27 over a track that was rated “sloppy.”
Yoder owns and trains the Chapter Seven—Fireworks Hanover filly, which was Yoder’s first Breeders Crown entry, along with his first appearance.
Owner | Trainer | Driver
Verlin Yoder
Yoder took his filly right to the top as the gate swung open, followed by When Dovescry and Cloud Nine Fashion, with The Ice Dutchess waiting in fourth for a move.
The first quarter went in :27.4.
The field remained in the same order as Woodside Charm glided along easy to a half in :57.1. The Ice Dutchess took to the outside and tried to launch a challenge but was soon weary and faded by three-quarters that went in 1:25.2.
When Dovescry made her move just after three-quarters, but Woodside Charm was taking Yoder on an easy path to the winner’s circle, finishing in 1:54.1.
When Dovescry finished second to the 1-9 favorite, with Cloud Nine Fashion holding on for third and Special Honor sliding in fourth.
It was the seventh win in seven starts for Woodside Charm, who was bred by AV & Son.
“You can’t put this into words,” Yoder said after his visit to the winner’s circle, adding the filly will “go to Florida to un-thaw and see what happens for next year.”
