Breeders Crown finals drawn at Press Conference
MILTON, October 22, 2019 – Post positions for all 12 of this weekend’s Breeders Crown Finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park are set following a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
A strong turnout, including over a dozen drivers and trainers, attended the press conference to find out the starting spots for the 2-Year-Old Colt Pace, 3-Year-Old Colt Pace and Open Trot finals.
Foreign classic invitee Bold Eagle drew the rail for the $500,000 Open Trot. The legendary eight-year-old trotter will make his North American debut, teaming with reinsman Brian Sears. The Sébastien Guarato trainee has done it all in Europe, winning countless classic events and earning over $5 million.
Superstar trotters Atlanta, Guardian Angel As, Marion Marauder and Six Pack are just four of the 10 trotters that will go up against Bold Eagle.
Marion Marauder, the 2016 Trotting Triple Crown champion, will start directly behind Bold Eagle from the second-tier post 11. The six-year-old is winless in nine starts this season, but has recorded 20 wins and over $3.5 million in earnings through 60 career starts.
Four-year-old mare Atlanta has earned the confidence of her connections to take another crack at the boys. The 2018 Hambletonian champion and winner of nearly $2 million will attempt to claim the Open Trot title for a 20th career victory. She starts from post-six.
This season’s highest earner in the Open Trot is Anette Lorentzon trainee Guardian Angel As, who scored the biggest victory of his career earlier this season at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The five-year-old stallion captured the Maple Leaf Trot on August 31 and will start from post-five.
World champion Six Pack did not have luck on his side during Tuesday’s post position draw. The Ake Svanstedt trained four-year-old drew the far outside, post position 10.
The Open Trot field is completed by Will Take Charge (PP2), Mission Accepted (PP3), Fiftydallarbill (PP4), Lindy The Great (PP7), Dunbar Hall (PP8) and Southwind Chrome (PP9).
Saturday evening’s Crown finals will also include the $600,000 3-Year-Old Colt Pace.
Elimination winners Bettors Wish and Dancin Lou were guaranteed of a starting spot from post one to five. Bettors Wish drew post-five, while Dancin Lou drew post-four.
The Chris Ryder trained Bettors Wish has been the model of consistency this season, winning 12 of 16 and never finished outside the top-two. The son of Bettors Delight will look to add a Crown trophy to his collection that includes the Art Rooney, Carl Milstein, Kentucky Sires Stakes, Bluegrass and Tattersalls.
Tahnee Camilleri trainee Dancin Lou is red-hot entering the Crown final. The son of Sweet Lou broke through with an upset score in a division of the Tattersalls on October 6 and proved it was no fluke by storming home in :25.4 to win his Crown elimination. The sophomore holds a record of 10 wins in 17 starts.
Little Brown Jug champion and supplement entry Southwind Ozzi, who finished second to Bettors Wish in last Saturday’s elimination, will start from the rail. The Bill MacKenzie trained son of Somebeachsomewhere has won nine of 13 this season, which includes scores in the Adios and Pennsylvania Sires Stakes championship.
Pepsi North America Cup champion Captain Crunch drew post-two for Saturday’s rich event. The Nancy Johansson trainee is two for eight since winning the Cup, but has finished top-four in all of those starts.
Meadowlands Pace champion Best In Show was the fast-closer in last weekend’s eliminations, pacing a :25.3 kicker to finished second to Dancin Lou. The Linda Toscano trainee will start from post-six, which has the highest winning percentage of any starting spot at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The 3-Year-Old Colt Pace field is completed by Covered Bridge (PP3), Semi Tough (PP7), Fixed Idea (PP8), Bronx Seelster (PP9) and De Los Cielos Deo (PP10).
The $600,000 2-Year-Old Colt Pace will be the main event for Friday’s quartet of Breeders Crown events.
Elimination winner Papi Rob Hanover drew post-three at Tuesday’s draw and rolls into the final off a major statement victory for trainer Brett Pelling. The son of Somebeachsomewhere handed previously unbeaten Tall Dark Stranger a 1:50.2 defeat, winning by a little over a length.
Papi Rob Hanover has hit the board in each of his nine starts this season, posting four victories. The Pelling trainee finished runner-up to Tall Dark Stranger in last month’s Metro Pace.
Tall Dark Stranger drew post-seven at Tuesday’s draw, a post position he has won from before at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The Nancy Johansson trainee is seven for eight with over $542,000 earned.
Capt Midnight and Catch The Fire took byes into the $600,000 final. The Tony Alagna trained Capt Midnight drew post-five, while John Ackley trainee Catch The Fire landed in post-nine.
The 2-Year-Old Colt Pace final field is completed by Mayhem Hanover (PP1), Allywag Hanover (PP2), Cattlewash (PP4), Major Betts (PP6), Freedom Hanover (PP8) and Put To Right (PP10).
The full cards for this weekend’s $6 million Breeders Crown, presented by Libfeld-Katz Breeding Partnership, will be released later today.
Post time for Friday and Saturday’s Breeders Crown cards is 7 p.m.
