Ecurie D - Open Trot
Ecurie D DK ties stakes record in Breeders Crown Open Trot Championship
Jerry Connors, for Woodbine Communications
MILTON, October 29, 2022 – Ecurie D DK became the first repeater of the Breeders Crown Open Trot Championship in nineteen years on Saturday night at Woodbine / Mohawk Park, tying the stakes record of 1:51 in winning the $600,000 event while matching the successive scores of Fool’s Goal in 2002-2003, the latter win at Woodbine.
Trainer Åke Svanstedt, winning his second Crown of the night and third of the weekend, selected Dexter Dunn to handle Ecurie D DK (the “DK” indicates he is Danish-bred; the breeder is Jean Pierre Dubois) as one of four horses he sent out in this Crown. Ecurie D DK had gotten “hot” in the Yonkers International in his last start and tired after setting scalding fractions; the son of Infinitif was much more tractable in his Crown, going right out to the lead ahead of 2021 sophomore Crown winner Jujubee, and set fractions of :27.1, :55.2, and 1:23, at the last pole starting to go clear of his field.
No one was able to get near Ecurie D DK in the stretch, with Jujubee three lengths behind in closest pursuit of the winner at the finish. Unfortunately, Jujubee made a break nearing the wire, and after an inquiry he was placed back to fourth, with Amigo Volo (ironically, the 2020 3YO Crown winner, and let go here at 102-1) elevated from third to second and It’s Academic moved up from fourth to third. But they were all trotting for the minor honors behind Ecurie D DK, who gave Dunn his third Crown win of the night, which put him equal with Svanstedt as the only three-time 2022 Crown winners at the time.
Ecurie D DK is owned by Marko Kreivi Stables, Suleyman Yuksel Stables, and Åke Svanstedt Inc. Ecurie D DK was two-for-two when he came to North America last season, and in 2022 he now has two wins, two seconds and a third in six starts (his only off-the-board finish in North America was in the International). The six-year-old has earned $966,389 in his eight North American starts, and $1,356,757 lifetime, as he was 15-for-21 on the Continent. He took his mark of 1:49.1 while setting a world record in his first start of the year, in the Cutler at The Meadowlands on May 21, and his 1:51 mile in the Crown equals the stakes record held by Market Share (2013) and Commander Crowe (2014).
Ecurie D DK was sent off as the 6-5 favorite of this outstanding field, bringing the count of winning favorites to five in the first eleven Crowns, with three seconds and two thirds over the weekend.
Purse $600,000
October 29, 2022 | Woodbine Mohawk Park - Milton, ON, CA
Photos By Jim Lisa for Ⓒ Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown
Photos By Jessica Hallett for Ⓒ Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown
